The Laws of Love
by Kassandra Ramsey
Summary: Six years after Graduation, Hermione, Harry, Ron, Charlie, Fred and George return to Hogwarts at Dumbledore's request. They must stay to save the school, but that will mean submitting to the new Marriage Law passed by the Ministry. HGSS, CWOC, and HPOC
1. Default Chapter

The Laws of Love

Chapter One

Hermione Granger sighed in relief as she shut the carriage door behind her. The cold February wind howled outside as she began the last leg of her trip to Hogwarts. She settled back in her seat and thought back to the last time that she'd been at the school six years ago.

Graduation was a rather solemn event for her class. The war had been over only two weeks, and the entire Wizarding Community was still mourning the loss of hundreds of witches and wizards. Most had been Order members. She, Harry, and Ron had made it thorough with their lives, but each had been changed forever.

Harry had destroyed Voldemort single-handedly; literally, as he lost a hand in the battle. Though Hermione's physical injuries faded away with time, the emotional wounds would never heal. She saw her parents tortured in front of her, then had her virginity savagely stolen by a group of mask wearing Death Eaters. She had to _Obliviate_ her parents so that they could move on with their lives. Her mum still had nightmares though.

But no matter how bad her experience had been, Hermione's loss in her mind could never equal Ron's. Thanks to a vicious hex by Bellatrix LeStrange, the youngest Weasley brother would never see out of his right eye again. But that had been the least of his worries. He'd lost his parents and three of his siblings, Bill, Percy, and Ginny along with his girlfriend, Lavender Brown.

The three went their separate ways after Graduation. Hermione went on to University and earned a Master of Transfiguration. Harry was happily accepted into the Auror's academy, although now that Voldemort was gone, work was slow. Ron had traveled for a few years, but finally ended up working for Fred and George at their joke shop in Diagon Alley.

The owls between the old friends were few and far between, but they managed to keep up with each other somewhat.

The carriage stopped in front of the castle, and when Hermione saw the two men waiting to greet her, she threw open the door and ran to them.

She couldn't stop the tears as she embraced her two best friends that she hadn't seen in six years.

Ron was no longer the skinny, gangly one of the group. The exotic foods from his travels abroad had been able to do what Molly's cooking hadn't. Fortunately for him, the extra weight was distributed pretty evenly around his body, but he did have a slight pouch that made Hermione want to rub his belly. Today, he was wearing a black eye-patch that made him look like a dashing pirate.

Harry was now the spitting image of his father, except of course, for his eyes. Those vivid green orbs were now empty and devoid of the defiant glint they'd held through his school days. His messy black hair still refused to lie flat, and he looked at her from behind the same spectacles that she'd given him as a graduation present. He was taller, though not as tall as Ron, and had filled out a lot through his chest and shoulders.

He held up his new hand for her to inspect, and how real it looked and felt astonished Hermione. Although his hand had quickly turned ice-cold in the February weather, and it occurred to her that holding his hand was like holding that of a cadaver's.

"What are you two doing here?" she demanded with the biggest smile she'd had in years.

"Dumbledore asked us here. Charlie, Fred, and George are here too," Ron told her, smiling back.

"It's very suspicious," Harry muttered, his eyes haunted as he gazed across the lawn.

Hermione pulled them both into another hug.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you," she said.

Harry handed her his handkerchief, and she hastily wiped the tears from her face before they froze.

"Let's get inside. I'm hungry," Ron complained, leading the way to the door.

Hermione laughed and turned to Harry. "Some things never change," and she was relieved to see him smile.

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Albus Dumbledore looked exactly as she had remembered him when he met them in the Entrance Hall. His long white beard nearly touched the floor. His bright blue eyes twinkled at her from behind half-moon spectacles and shooting stars shimmered all over his purple robes.

He greeted them warmly, and ushered them into the Great Hall for dinner.

Soon they were seated at the Head Table eating the most delicious feast they'd had in a long time.

Ron sighed in pure bliss.

"I think these feasts are what I miss most about Hogwarts," he said, earning a laugh from several staff members.

Hermione nodded absently but was preoccupied by staring at the current students.

The four house tables looked pitifully empty of students. There were twenty-two Ravenclaws, thirty-one Gyffindors, forty-seven Hufflepuffs, and thirteen Slytherins. It was Friday evening, and it wasn't even a Hogsmeade Weekend. Where were all of the students?

"Headmaster?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

"Please, call me Albus," he instructed.

"Albus, where are the rest of the students? Did they eat earlier?"

Harry, Ron, Fred, and George looked down at the student tables noticing how empty they were for the first time.

The teachers at the table went quiet and still.

The twinkle left the Headmasters' eyes as he said, "All are here and accounted for."

"Why are there so few?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore sighed heavily.

"Many children were killed during the war. Several lost parents, and were sent away to live with relatives in other countries. Whole Wizarding families fled before the war even began. But the most frightening thing is that seventy-five percent of Wizarding children born in the last ten to fifteen years have turned out to be squibs. "

They gasped, and surveyed the small group of children with rising dread.

"Most here are muggle-born, or have a muggle or muggle-born parent. It's why there are so few Slytherins. Apparently this rise in squibs can be linked back to too much intermarrying between purebloods," he continued.

"That's terrible! I had no idea things had gotten so bad," Hermione said.

She opened her mouth to ask another question, but Albus raised a hand to silence her.

"We have much to discuss, but we will do so later in my office where we will not be overheard," he said, giving her a significant look.

She nodded, and turned back to her meal. However her gaze kept drifting to the students and she found that her appetite had deserted her.

Her gaze moved to the staff. They looked old. All of them. Despite the warm smiles they sent her way, the weariness and sadness in their eyes made her want to cry. Her gaze drifted to the empty seat where the Potion's Master usually sat. She looked questioningly at Dumbledore who just shook his head and said, "Later."

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Hermione, Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and Charlie were seated comfortably in Dumbledore's office a little while later.

The headmaster paced in front of them

"Normally, I'd offer lemon drops, but I think its best we got down to business. Our latest Minister of Magic is under a lot of pressure to get to the bottom of this low birth rate of wizards and witches. Studies have been done, and it has been proven that the intermarrying of purebloods is the cause. So, the Minister has come to a solution. Monday's _Daily Prophet_ will announce the new Marriage Law."

The group listened in quiet fascination.

"What is the Marriage Law?" Hermione asked, her dinner threatening to make a return appearance.

"You'll read all of the fine print in Monday's _Daily Prophet_, but it is basically a new law stating that unmarried muggle-borns, and witches and wizards with a muggle or muggle-born parent that are of child-bearing age will be subject to marriage contracts by pureblood witches and wizards."

Hermione leapt to her feet.

"That's absurd! They can't force us to get married!"

Dumbledore looked at her sadly, not at all surprised at her outburst.

"No, they can't, Miss Granger. You can leave Britain, and not be subjected to the law. But if you stay, I'm afraid you'll have no choice."

"I'll leave if I have to," Harry said, stubbornly.

Dumbledore sighed again, and looked at them, imploringly.

"I can't stop you from leaving, and I won't hold it against you if you chose to do so. But you are my last hope to save this school."

"What can we possibly do?" Fred asked.

Dumbledore suddenly looked all of his one hundred and sixty years.

"My staff is loyal, but they're tired and old. They want to retire, spend their golden years traveling and being with their families. They won't leave as long as I need them, but it pains me to see them in such a state. I need teachers to keep this school open, and I need students to attend."

"Us? Teach? What on Earth would we teach?" George asked with a snort.

"You and Fred were excellent in charms, you received O's in your OWLs for them," Dumbledore reminded him.

"Hermione, as a Master of Transfiguration you could do those classes, along with Ancient Runes and Arithmancy," he continued.

"That's an awful lot," she said, tiredly.

He chuckled, dryly.

"You didn't think so when you were a student here. Anyway, there are so few students, you'd only have a couple of classes of each," he pointed out.

Hermione silently cursed him as she felt the rise of adrenaline that followed the academic challenge.

"Harry's already had experience as a Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, and now as an Auror I can't think of anyone else more qualified for the position."

Harry looked away, but didn't say anything.

"What about me? I wasn't good at anything," Ron said, sullenly.

"I need you to replace Madam Hooch. Teach the first years how to fly a broomstick. There aren't enough interested students for four quidditch teams, but I bet you could get two or three teams. It would definitely help morale. As of now, they don't really have anything extracurricular," Dumbledore said with a sigh.

"Yeah, I could do that," he said, casually, but Hermione could tell he was pleased with the idea.

She looked over at Charlie.

"I've already accepted the Care of Magical Creatures post," he said, quietly.

The group was seized with pain as they remembered the beloved groundskeeper and Care of Magical Creatures Professor Hagrid, who had been among those who had not survived the war.

The Headmaster cleared his throat.

"I've invited you all to stay for the weekend, please take some time to consider what you want to do. Talk to the students and Professors. Feel free to ask them anything-"

"I don't need time, and I don't need to ask any questions. I'm leaving. I refuse to jump through any more Ministry hoops. I've done enough of that over the years," Harry yelled, jumping to his feet.

The room was silent as they all stared at Harry.

"I killed Voldemort. Haven't I done enough for this sorry place?"

"Harry!" Hermione said, disapprovingly.

Dumbledore raised his hands, stopping the argument before it could start.

"If that is your choice Harry, then so be it. However, before I accept your flat refusal, I want you to consider how your life might have gone if there had been no Hogwarts."

Harry paled and sat back down.

Hermione's heart went out to him. She knew he was remembering his time with his muggle relatives. They'd hated him, and without Hogwarts, his life would have been very miserable indeed.

After Harry promised to give it more thought, the group turned in for the night.

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Hermione tossed and turned for hours in her guestroom, her mind whirling.

Being back at school brought so many memories to the surface. Good and bad. She shuddered as she remembered the night of the raid on her house. She knew she was lucky that she and her parents had made it through alive, but it still haunted her.

For the past six years at university, Hermione had resisted all efforts of anything more than casual friendship. And those few who had made it through her defenses had been girls. She never dated. She was too scared of being raped again to get close to any guy.

Harry and Ron were different, they were like brothers to her.

She sighed and thought about what Dumbledore had said to Harry.

What would life have been like without Hogwarts? Better? Worse? She couldn't say. No one could possibly know for sure.

The knot in her stomach tightened.

What had happened to her was awful, but not having magic? She really didn't think there could be anything worse than that.

Those kids deserved the chance to go to Hogwarts, but how long could Dumbledore keep the school open?

She thought about herself as an actual Hogwarts Professor and smiled. She'd always dreamt of coming back here to teach one day. But she had thought it would be when she was old, and had done everything else she'd wanted to do with her life. Unfortunately, after the war, she no longer had the desire to do the things she'd planned.

Teaching would suit her perfectly; there was no doubt about that. However, if she stayed, it meant she'd have to be married. She'd have to allow a man close to her, and probably even have a child or two.

The logical part of her mind took over as she considered potential husbands.

He'd have to be a pureblood.

That disqualified Harry. Ron, Fred, George, and Charlie were pretty much the only ones that she'd consider. She wrinkled her nose. Sure she trusted them, and she knew they'd be kind and respectful to her, but she still cringed inside at the thought of going to bed with any of them.

At three am, Hermione gave up trying to sleep and got out of bed. She pulled on a bathrobe, and stuck her wand in the pocket.

Her feet carried her automatically to the dungeons. To Him.

Professor Snape had been a hero to her since that night over six years ago. She and her parents would certainly have died had he not intervened. Unfortunately, his saving her and her family had caused him to reveal himself as a traitor to the Death Eaters, and he'd had to pay the price.

She'd heard he was injured, but had never had the chance to see him or thank him afterwards. The owl that she'd sent him when she'd moved into her University dorm had been sent back unopened. Dumbledore had assured her that Snape would be fine and that after a short sabbatical he'd be teaching again.

Earlier in the Headmaster's office, he hadn't mentioned anything about Snape leaving Hogwarts, so she assumed that he would continue on as the Potion's Master.

She made her way to his office, and was pleased to see the soft glow of fire light under his door.

She raised her hand and knocked softly.

"You may enter."

His voice was a little raspier than she had remembered, and it didn't seem to hold the anger that it once had.

She took a breath, and then pushed open the door.

He was slumped in his chair, hidden in the shadows cast by the glow of the fire in the grate.

"I was wondering how long you'd be able to stay away," he commented before taking a sip from the goblet in his hand.

Hermione stood there, staring at his shadowed form, millions of questions filling her mind.

Hesitantly, she made her way into the room, closing the door behind her.

His glittering black eyes followed her every movement as she made her way toward him.

She stopped a few feet in front of him.

"Why?" she asked him in a hoarse whisper.

His soft laughter at her question was devoid of any real humor.

"Why what, Miss Granger? Why did I think you'd come down here? Why did I save you? Why did I not read your letter? Why am I still here teaching? Or why am I not leaving with the others?"

Hermione felt the corner of her mouth twitch at his sardonic questions.

"Actually I was wondering why you were sitting in the dark, but since you brought it up…" she trailed off with a smirk.

With a wave of his wand several candles around the room flickered to life, bathing his face in their warm light. His eyes refused to meet hers as he pulled his long hair back from his face and tilted his head so that she could better see him.

Several jagged white scars covered the left side of his face, and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out when she saw the lump of flesh on the side of his head that used to be an ear.

A tear slipped out of one of her eyes, and he immediately extinguished the candles when he saw it.

"That is why I sit in the shadows," he said, his voice thick.

Hermione just stood there, silent tears running down her face.

"You've gotten your look at the ugly monster, you can go now," he said waving his hand in dismissal.

"You're not an ugly monster," she cried angrily.

He didn't say anything.

Her legs carried her over to him almost of their own volition, and she sat herself in his lap.

"Miss Gra-"

"Shh," she whispered touching a finger to his lips to silence him.

She quickly drew her wand out of her pocket and re-lit the candles before putting it back.

He held still, watching her warily as her hands moved over the harsh bumps and lines of the disfigured half of his face.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered through her tears.

His eyes met hers again and he grabbed her hands with his.

"No, I'm sorry. I messed up. I should have… What happened to you is far worse than what happened to me," he said solemnly.

Her gentle tears turned into harsh sobs, and she clung to him, burying her face in the front of his robes.

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Professor Severus Snape sighed in resignation and then awkwardly started patting the crying woman's back. He scowled, wanting to push her away. People didn't touch him, they didn't even like looking or talking to him much less sitting in his lap and crying their hearts out. He was not a comforter. He was one of the reasons people needed comfort.

It was the memory that had haunted him almost constantly for the past six years that kept him from throwing her out of his office.

She was barely eighteen that Christmas Eve. He remembered the shock and nausea that almost overpowered him as he realized that the Grangers were who were to be attacked that night. He hadn't had the time to warn anyone.

As he stared through the window at Hermione and her parents sitting down to dinner, he knew deep down that his days as a double agent were over. Standing by and watching the torture and murder of nameless muggles and muggle-borns had always left him feeling very ill, but it had been something he could endure for the greater good. But this wasn't just some nameless muggle-born. This was Hermione Granger, and even though Severus had never really cared for the girl he knew that she would be essential in winning the war. The Order couldn't afford to lose her. He wouldn't let that happen.

As his fellow Death Eaters went to cover the exits and prepare for the attack, Severus was trying to work out an escape plan.

Everything happened too fast. He pulled the portkey out of his pocket, ready to grab the Grangers and get out, but the family was almost immediately separated from each other, and he knew he'd not be able to touch all of them at the same time.

He'd always thought of himself as being a clever and patient man, he'd simply wait until the perfect opportunity. But when one of the Death Eaters suddenly ripped the dress off of Hermione Granger, something deep inside him snapped. All rational thought flew from his mind and he jumped on the Death Eater holding her down.

Next thing he knew, he was placed under the body bind curse, and forced to watch as no less than five Death Eaters took their turn with her. She fought at first, but finally realized it was useless and quit struggling. Her eyes turned vacant and she stared off into the distance, not even flinching as her body was so roughly used. It was those vacant eyes that had haunted him so much in the following years.

The better part of an hour passed before she finally quieted. Her sobs had slowly become snores.

Snape didn't know where her bedroom was. After Albus informed him that she would be coming almost a week ago, he had stopped listening. The next week had been spent preparing himself for her arrival. In other words, he drank a lot. Liquid courage, but he never possessed much of that particular Gryffindor quality.

Sighing in annoyance, he got to his feet and grimaced as the muscles in his back strained at her weight in his arms. He carried her to his private rooms behind his office.

He laid her down on a sofa in his sitting room and threw a blanket over her.

This was it. The extent of his graciousness.

He went to bed then, and didn't spare his unwanted visitor another thought.

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"Miss Granger!"

Hermione sat up and blinked groggily at the livid Professor Snape standing over her.

His long black hair was hiding the scarred half of his face, and the one glittering black eye she could see was glaring at her furiously.

"What?" she demanded, annoyed.

He was taken aback at her lack of fear of him and scowled.

"I allowed you liberties last night because I felt I owed you something. I no longer feel that way and you are no longer welcome in my rooms or office. I was hoping you'd be gone when I awoke this morning, but as it is nearly lunchtime I can see that that isn't happening."

His voice was calm and menacing, and Hermione shivered at the coldness that saturated it.

"My apologies, Professor. I won't trouble you again," she said, getting to her feet and looking around for a way out of the room.

He pointed to a door on the far wall.

"I don't know what is you think you're doing here at Hogwarts, but it would be best if you'd just leave," he said, glaring at her.

Hermione whirled around to face him, hands on her hips.

"You don't know why I'm here? Albus didn't tell you?" she asked feeling her lips twitch, but was able to keep the smirk off of her face.

His eyes widened at the use of the Headmaster's first name, and he shook his head.

"He's offered me a teaching job," she said, enjoying the way his mouth fell open in shock.

"Along with Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and Charlie."

Her smugness was beyond irritating.

"I believe you were on you're way out the door," he said, through gritted teeth.

She nodded and went to the door, hesitating with her hand on the knob.

"Thank you, for last night. I really needed it."

Hermione quickly left before he could respond.

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The weekend passed pleasantly in the company of her old friends and teachers. In the end, each of them decided to stay and teach. Surprisingly, it had been Harry who agreed first, despite his immediate refusal the other night. The twins would take turns running the shop and teaching charms, and Ron was just glad to have something to do that he enjoyed.

Hermione had asked the Headmaster to meet privately to discuss her decision.

They met in his office on Sunday before dinner. It was obvious that he was worried, and Hermione knew why. This plan of his relied more on her acquiesces than any of the rest of them. She was the only one who was a Master of a subject, and therefore qualified to teach it. She could already see herself helping the others with their lesson plans and grading.

Her lips twitched.

It would be just like they were students again. Dumbledore would rely on her to make sure that everyone did his job. And while the task seemed a bit daunting, she couldn't help the rush of excitement that came with a new academic challenge.

"Have you made your decision, Miss Granger?" he asked, without preamble.

"The laws say that you must have two Masters on your staff for the school to remain open. Professors' Snape and McGonagall have always been the two that fit that requirement. If I accept and Minerva retires, will Snape stay on or do you have another Master coming?" she asked.

"I'm searching for a Potion's Master to replace Severus, but I haven't had much luck. There is a very promising student in an overseas university, but she won't have completed her training for another year and, as you can imagine, other interested schools have already approached her as well."

Hermione nodded grimly.

"She'll have her pick of schools, and with this stupid new law we can almost guarantee the she'll not pick Hogwarts."

Dumbledore gave her a small smile.

"A lot can happen in a year. In answer to your question, Severus has promised to stay on until I can find a replacement, however long that might take."

Hermione didn't really know what Dumbledore had done to deserve such unwavering loyalty from a man like Snape, but it must have been something huge.

"I want to stay and teach. It's been a dream of mine to someday be a professor here. If only we didn't have to worry about this law."

Albus remained quiet, watching her intently.

She looked at the portraits of past Headmasters who were unabashedly hanging on her every word.

She took a deep breath.

"I'll do it. I'll stay as long as you need me to, but on one condition…"

"I can't change the law for you," he said, bluntly.

"I know you can't, but if I end up having to marry someone who won't let me teach, then I can't stay can I? If you can find a way to keep me here, then I'll stay. If you can't, I'm leaving the country."

A smile slowly spread across the old wizard's face.

"I think that can be done."

End Chapter 1

A/N: Special thanks to my new beta, K.T. I'd be nowhere without you!

About 'Dragon of Hogwarts': It has not been abandoned. I've had to deal with some hard things in my life these past few months, and I'm sorry, but I'm just blocked on that story right now. Laws of Love is helping me get over this writer's block, and I hope to have another Dragon update within the month.


	2. Chapter 2

Pairings for this story: Hermione/Snape, Charlie/OC, and Harry/OC. (I'm still debating with Ron, Fred, and George)

Chapter 2

_Muggle-born Marriage Law Passed_

_Its official, the rumored law allowing for marriage contracts on muggle-born witches and wizards and those with a muggle or muggle-born parent, by pureblood families has been passed. Any witch or wizard of muggle or muggle-born parentage age 17 and older is eligible to be petitioned._

"_I know that some will say this law seems harsh, but I want to assure everyone that it is very critical to the continuation of our world," stated Minister Fudge. _

_Each contract is specific to the couple in question, and the terms are mostly left to the discretion of the pureblood contractor. The only terms required for every contract are: 1.) Marriage and consummation must occur within three months of signing the contract. 2.)1 child must be produced within the first year and 6 months of marriage._

_Applications must be submitted to the Ministry of Magic, Re-Population team for approval, and compatibility tests must be preformed before the contract can become official._

_For those students still attending school, exceptions will be made. _

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"Your essays will be due at the start of class on Wednesday," Hermione said over the noise of students gathering their supplies to leave.

After the last student had left the room, she turned to Professor McGonagall anxiously.

"You did an excellent job, Professor Granger," Minerva said with a smile, "but then, I never had any doubts."

Hermione blushed at the compliment.

"Thank you, Pro- I mean Minerva," she said.

The two women headed to the Great Hall for lunch. Hermione had been so nervous about teaching her first class that she'd barely touched her breakfast. Now, her stomach was starting to grumble loudly.

"Professor Granger? Can I have a word with you in my office?"

Albus stopped her just outside the doors to the Great Hall. The delicious sent of lasagna assaulted her nose and her stomach gave a very loud rumble.

She gave him a pleading look.

"It will only take a minute," he said, placing a candy in her hand leading her toward his office.

The candy was a poor substitute for real food, but at least she wouldn't pass out.

"I've got good news and bad news," he said, mischievously.

Hermione instantly turned wary.

"Bad news first," she told him.

"Very well, Draco Malfoy has submitted a marriage contract for you."

Hermione felt like the wind had been knocked out of her.

"W-what? B-but…"

"It's alright, Hermione, I've got good news as well, remember?"

She blinked and then nodded eagerly.

"Before any contract can be official, both participants must undergo a blood test for compatibility. If they are compatible, then it will become official and the pair must marry. However, in the event that more than one submitted contract becomes official, the contracted, that's you dear, will get to chose among them," he finished with a smile.

"So what you are saying is that mine and Malfoy's blood have to be compatible before his contract is official?"

"Yes, and until you give your blood to be tested, anyone else can also submit a contract."

Hermione's mind began racing furiously.

"When do I have to do it?"

"A ministry official will be contacting you within in the next hour or so. Now, Professor, you are a very busy woman, and will not have time to make a trip to the ministry until Saturday morning," he informed her, eyes twinkling.

Hermione smiled.

"That's very true, Headmaster, I'll inform the ministry of that."

She thought things through for a moment.

"I'm assuming that you have a plan?" she asked, hopefully.

His smile widened.

"Ron and Charlie are submitting contracts as we speak. Fred and George will do the same before Saturday."

Hermione sighed. She'd known it would come down to a choice between the brothers, she was just hoping that someone else would choose for her.

She thanked him and turned to leave when a disturbing thought occurred to her.

"Albus? What if my blood is incompatible with the Weasleys? I mean, if I'm incompatible with one of them, I might be incompatible with all of them."

Albus frowned, he hadn't thought of that.

"You're right about that. I'll have to find someone not related to the Weasleys. Well, just let me handle it my dear."

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"Why?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Well, I'm not giving you a blood sample until you tell me why." Snape snapped.

Albus sighed in frustration.

"I'm submitting a marriage contract on your behalf for Hermione Granger."

"What? Are you insane?" Snape demanded after recovering from his initial shock.

"You'd be surprised how many times I've been accused of that throughout my life," he said with a chuckle.

The irate Potions professor just glared back at him.

"I need her Severus, Hogwarts needs her. Mr. Malfoy has already submitted a contract for her, and I think we both know what will happen if he gets his hands on her."

Snape thought back to that horrible night six years ago, and the abuse he'd seen her suffer.

"Why me? You've got four pureblooded Weasley's on staff who'd be more than happy to help her out," he pointed out.

Dumbledore sighed, again. It seemed he'd been doing a lot of that lately. Silently, he promised himself that he'd go out and buy some new socks this weekend. That would be nice.

"Of course all of the Weasley brothers are submitting their own contracts for her, but I'm afraid the Malfoys still have a lot of influence over the ministry. The Weasley name is not very respected in our world, and there is also the fact that the Malfoys are much more in need of an heir than the Weasley's."

Severus didn't respond.

"You're the last Snape, Severus. And you may be the only one who can save Hermione and Hogwarts," the old wizard pressed.

"I'll think about it," he mumbled turning away.

"I'm sorry, Severus, but we haven't the luxury of time. I need an answer now."

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It was almost two weeks later before Hermione received her official contracts. She was sitting down to breakfast when the morning owls arrived, as usual.

A thick envelope nearly landed in her cereal.

She knew what it was as soon as she saw the ministry seal.

Hermione gave the Headmaster a significant look, then quickly left the Great Hall and headed to her office.

As she left she noticed Professor Snape watching her closely. She wondered how much he knew about what was going on with her.

After she'd left his office the morning after her first night back, he'd not said two words to her. She rarely saw him, and had the feeling he was avoiding her.

She reached her office and felt a pang of longing for Minerva. She, Flitwick, and Hooch had gone off on a holiday, touring Europe. It was a much needed rest for the Professors who finally had the freedom to leave their students in the capable hands of the new teachers. Hermione knew that it was just a trial-run to make sure that everything would workout okay. As much as they were ready to retire, not a one of them would leave Dumbledore without adequate help. They'd be back in a few weeks, just to make sure things were going okay, but basically, Hermione was on her own.

Hermione made herself a cup of tea, and settled at her desk. She had almost an hour before her first class to go over the contracts.

She reached for the envelope and held it up to the light, trying to read the writing, but couldn't make anything out. Finally she ripped the top off of the envelope, and pulled out the heavy sheets of parchment.

_Hermione Jane Granger, Master of Transfiguration and 2nd Order of Merlin,_

_The Ministry of Magic is proud to present you with two official contracts for marriage. Please review each one carefully, and sign where designated on the contract of your choice. You have two weeks to make a choice. If you have not signed by then, the Ministry shall choose for you. Upon signing the contract you have three months to marry and consummate the marriage. Failure to do this will nullify the chosen contract, and validate the contract that was not chosen._

_We wish you luck and happiness with your new spouse!_

_Sincerely,_

_Randall Droms_

_Re-population Team Leader_

_Ministry of Magic _

Hermione said a few words that her students and friends would have been stunned to hear her say and then crumpled the page into a ball and tossed it in the dustbin.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the first contract.

_Marriage Contract in ordinance with the Marriage Law_

_Contractor: Draco Lucius Malfoy_

_Contracted: Hermione Jane Granger_

_Terms and Conditions: _

_Mr. Malfoy and Professor Granger shall be wed with haste at Malfoy Manor. Professor Granger shall be required to run the household, and provide Mr. Malfoy with no less than three male Wizarding children. She shall not leave the manor without her husband's permission, and shall be submissive to him in every way._

Hermione quit reading and tried to rip the contract in half, but found that an indestructible charm had been used, so she simple dropped it into the dustbin as she'd done the letter.

There was no way in hell she'd be choosing Malfoy's contract!

She looked at the other piece of folded parchment with dread. No matter how she felt about the person on that contract, he would be the one she'd marry. Honestly, she just felt relieved that she'd received two contracts, which meant one of the Weasleys got through.

A glance at the clock told her she only had about twenty minutes 'til her next class. There was no sense in delaying the inevitable.

She opened the second contract and read the name. Her jaw dropped, eyes widened, and she let out a snort of disbelief.

Was this some kind of joke? Maybe the work of the twins?

_Marriage Contract in ordinance with the Marriage Law_

_Contractor: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore on behalf of Severus Snape_

_Contracted: Hermione Jane Granger_

_Terms and Conditions:_

_Professor Snape and Professor Granger shall complete all requirements of the Marriage Law._

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Hermione passed the day in a daze. Luckily, it was test day so she hadn't actually had to give any lectures.

The more she thought about the contract, the more she realized that it couldn't be a joke. Albus had said that he would find a non-Weasley to submit a contract for her. It was lucky that he had, as the Weasleys had obviously not qualified. Though Hermione suspected that it had more to do with Malfoy ties in the ministry than the actual blood test results.

So, she would soon be marrying Severus Snape. According to the law she would have to bed him, and have at least one child. She waited for the fear to seize her at the prospect of being at the mercy of a man, but it never came.

Professor Snape had been the only one to truly know what had happened to her that night. He'd seen it all, and then gave her the means to save herself and her parents from certain death, sacrificing himself in the process. He'd suffered with guilt so much over what had happened to her, that she knew he would never hurt, or take advantage of her.

Still, becoming Mrs. Snape wasn't very desirable to her. Then again, becoming Mrs. anybody wasn't desirable.

Damn ministry! Why couldn't they just leave well enough alone.

She looked up at the seven students in her 5th year Transfiguration class and sighed.

"They can't leave well enough alone or the Wizarding World will fade away," she mumbled to herself.

The three students in the first row gave her an odd look, but the glare she sent them had their eyes refocusing on their test.

The only thing that really bothered her about Snape's contract was that Albus had submitted it. Had Severus given his consent or even known about it?

It was that question that made her hold off on signing it before she talked to him. Although, she really ought to just go ahead and sign so there'd be nothing he could do about it. She intended to marry him whether he wanted her or not, but still couldn't bring herself to sign just yet.

Tonight, after dinner, she would go to him.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Charlie Weasley tried to hold still and not wince as Madam Pomfrey examined his latest wounds. It seemed he spent most of his evenings in the hospital wing getting stitched back together.

"I never got this many wounds when I just dealt with dragons," he commented making the older witch laugh.

When she'd done all she could do, he thanked her and turned to go.

"Get some rest Charlie, they'll heal faster," Poppy said.

He nodded at her, then stopped and really looked at her.

"You look like you could use some rest as well, Poppy," he commented gently.

The old woman sighed.

"I know. I'm so tired Charlie. I want to go home and see my Great Grandchildren before they're not children anymore," she confessed, sadly.

"Have you told Dumbledore?" he asked.

"He knows. He's looking for a replacement, but there really aren't many qualified healers that will take a position at a school. The few who inquired about the position were just not good enough. As much as I want to retire, I'll not leave the care of Hogwarts students to just anybody," she said, sternly.

"Well, I'm sure you'll find the perfect person soon," he said.

His stomach rumbled loudly.

"Go eat!" she commanded, and shooed him out of the infirmary.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Charlie reached the Great Hall a few minutes later and walked to the Head Table calling out greetings to the students as he passed them. It was a shame that there were so few that he knew each of their names after only three weeks of classes.

He sat in an empty seat beside Hermione, who was absently moving a meatball around on her plate with her fork.

"A knut for your thoughts," he said, piling his plate with spaghetti and meatballs.

"Huh? Oh, sorry Charlie, I've got a lot on my mind."

"Well, that's obvious. Is it about the contract? I got a letter back saying I wasn't compatible with you," he said nonchalantly.

Hermione turned to look at him.

"I know. I only received two contracts, and neither were from you or your brothers," she said.

"Really, who were they from?"

"Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape," she said, then had to thump him on the back when he started choking.

"Snape submitted a contract for you?" he demanded once he could breathe normally.

"Actually, Albus submitted it on his behalf. And it's a good thing to, because if he hadn't you'd be looking at the new Mrs. Malfoy," she said with a shudder.

"That's true," he admitted, and turned back to his plate.

They ate in silence for a moment.

"Bill never liked Snape," Charlie said, suddenly. The pain that came at the mention of Bill's name wasn't as strong as it used to be. Nevertheless, he'd probably drink himself to sleep tonight.

Hermione stopped eating and turned to look at him again.

"I never did either. Bill was like me in that we enjoyed pleasing our Professors, but nothing we did could get a kind word out of Snape. If he hadn't have saved my family and me that night, I'd be taking this whole thing a lot harder. As it is, I trust Snape. He's proven himself to me, so I really don't have any reason to complain."

Charlie thought that over for a minute then grimaced.

"The law says you have to have a kid. You're really okay with going to his bed?"

Hermione sighed.

"Look around Charlie. I don't agree with the law but something has to be done," she told him, earnestly.

He looked down at the students that couldn't come close to filling the four long tables.

"We all have to do whatever is necessary to ensure our world survives. At least it's Snape I'll be dealing with and not Malfoy. I don't have to worry about him hurting me."

"That's right. And you better promise that you'll let us know if he starts to treat you wrong, because I won't stand for it," he said, heatedly.

Hermione smiled and patted his hand. "I know you won't," she said, with a smile. She took one last sip of pumpkin juice and got to her feet.

"You know, Charlie, you and the rest of your brothers should really think about taking out contracts of your own," she told him, and then walked away.

Charlie put down his fork, suddenly not hungry anymore.

Before his mum had died, she'd been on his case to find a wife. He'd be thirty years old next year, and while that wasn't very old for a bachelor wizard, it was for a Weasley. His own parents were barely eighteen when they married. Although, he suspected that it probably had more to do with the fact that Bill had already been on the way than that they were actually ready to get married.

It had been for that reason that he'd been very careful in the few intimate relationships he'd had. Weasleys were known for their fertility if nothing else. Which was even more reason for he and his brothers to participate in this law.

He'd always been a romantic at heart, and had held onto the dream of finding the perfect woman. Perhaps it was time to let that dream go, and do what was needed.

He started when Harry suddenly plopped down beside him. Charlie could tell by the expression on the younger man's face that something was bothering him.

"Alright Harry?" he asked, eager for a distraction from his depressing thoughts.

Harry looked at him consideringly for a moment before answering.

"Charlie, do you have problems with any of your students?" he asked, finally.

"Well, occasionally there's a spat between a few, but for the most part they are much more mild mannered than I was," he answered with grin.

Harry shook his head.

"What's the problem, Harry?"

"Do you promise not to tell anybody? It's kind of embarrassing," Harry said, looking very uncomfortable.

Charlie nodded, intrigued.

"It's the girls, the seventh years to be precise," he said, miserably.

"What are they doing?"

"They're- they're flirting with me, shamelessly!"

Charlie snorted, and Harry glared at him.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to teach a class when half the students are winking at you and blowing kisses? And don't even get me started on the love notes I get…"

Harry buried his head in his hands.

"I don't know what to do."

Charlie was doing his best not to laugh.

"I've never really encountered that kind of problem before. Perhaps you should ask Hermione, she usually has an answer for everything."

Harry nodded.

"Speaking of Hermione, do you know if she's heard back from the Ministry about the contracts?" Harry asked.

"Oh, no. I'm gonna let Hermione drop that bomb herself," Charlie said, and stood up to leave.

"She probably needs to talk to you as much as you need to talk to her."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Charlie entered his rooms and warded the door behind him. It wasn't that he was afraid of students getting in; no, they seemed to respect him. However, Fred and George had been a little too quiet lately, and he wasn't taking any chances with the notorious pranksters.

He entered his sitting room and shrugged out of his outer robes with a sigh of pleasure. He hadn't had to wear robes when he was working the dragon colonies in Romania, and he still wasn't quite used to them yet.

Charlie stopped in his tracks when he noticed the large barn owl watching him from its perch on the arm of a chair. Upon closer inspection, Charlie saw the small brown envelope tied to its leg.

He reached out and relieved the owl of its burden.

"I'm sorry, I don't have a treat for you," he said to it.

The owl hooted disgruntled, and glared impatiently at the unopened letter in Charlie's hand.

"They must want a response," he mumbled, and opened the envelope.

_Mr. Charlie Weasley,_

_My name is Timothy Collins, I don't know if you remember me from school. I was in Ravenclaw, and three years ahead of you. I am currently one of the blood testers on the Re-population team at the Ministry of Magic. You should know that several of my fellow team members have taken bribes from Draco Malfoy to ensure that neither you nor any of your brothers would be allowed to marry Hermione Granger. I am sorry that I was unable to do anything in that situation, though I did try. I made sure that another contract was allowed through, even though it might not be any more promising than the first, but at least she has a choice._

_I'm afraid I must ask you for a favor, knowing that you owe me nothing. I have a sister who is a half-blood witch and has just received a contract from Vincent Crabbe. I have already tested her blood against yours, and it is a match, I beseech you to allow me to submit a contract for her on your behalf before it is to late. _

_Rachel is a trusting and happy soul. I must do everything in my power to keep her out of the hands of that Son-of-a-Death-Eater. She has no knowledge of this letter, and firmly believes that everything will work out for the best. I don't have to tell you that I do not share her conviction._

_At twenty-five, she has just graduated from a medical university, and has applied for a job at St. Mungo's Hospital. I saw the ad that Headmaster Dumbledore put in the Daily Prophet for a Healer, and I assure you that Rachel will more than qualify for the position. _

_I implore you to quickly consider this and respond with haste. I know it's a cheap shot, but you had a sister once, and so you must know why I am so insistent that you do this. Please Charlie, you lost a sister, don't let me lose mine._

_Sincerely,_

_Timothy Collins _

Several emotions crashed over Charlie as the words on the page sank in. Anger, hurt, fear, apprehension, indignation, sympathy, and a small spark of hope. He stumbled to his desk and hastily scribbled a reply.

There was no choice, really. His conscience wouldn't allow him to turn his back on someone who needed his help.

He affixed his reply to the owl's leg, and opened a window for it to leave, wondering how it had gotten in in the first place.

Hermione was right. He needed to submit a contract of his own, why not help someone out in the process?

His thoughts turned to his baby sister, and brothers, and parents. Getting married and having a kid with a stranger seemed such a small sacrifice compared to theirs. Still, a little part of him died as he resigned himself to the fact that he may never have the opportunity to fall in love.

Thankful that his first class wasn't until after lunch the next day, he headed for his liquor cabinet to drown his sorrows, and ease his pain.

End Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hermione left the Great Hall after dinner and headed for the dungeons. Snape hadn't come up for dinner, but that wasn't very unusual. He wasn't what you would call a people-person, and more often than not ate dinner alone in his rooms.

She walked into the Potion's Classroom, and was surprised to see him working over a cauldron.

"Poppy's supplies are running low," he said to her questioning look.

She nodded, and just stood there awkwardly as he bottled the finished potion.

He labeled the bottle, put it on a shelf, and turned to her with a scowl.

"If you're waiting on me to drop to one knee and plead for your hand, I must inform you that you're wasting both our time," he hissed.

She snorted.

"So you do know about the contract," she said, feeling relieved.

"You think the Headmaster would do something like this without consulting me first?" he demanded, eyes flashing.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Of course he would." she said, as she crossed her arms over her chest and returned his glare with a smirk.

He blinked and turned away from her.

"Is there something else you need, Professor?" he asked staring at his newly bottled potion.

"Yes. I believe there are many things we need to discuss," she said, sternly.

He took in her resolved expression and sighed.

"Very well," he groused, and motioned for her to follow him through his office and into his chambers.

She sat in a chair in his sitting room, and watched him pour them each a glass of fire whiskey. She'd never touched the stuff before, but there was a first time for everything.

Snape handed her a glass and sat down across from her.

She sniffed at the liquid then shrugged and took a gulp.

He grabbed the glass before she could drop it, and pounded on her back as she nearly coughed up her lungs.

Hermione pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes, nose, and mouth, glaring at him in annoyance.

"You could have warned me," she accused with a sniff.

"I could have," he admitted without remorse.

She grabbed the glass back from him, forcefully.

They glared at each other for a few more minutes, before Hermione looked away.

"So, I haven't signed the contract yet, I wanted to make sure that you knew about it and were willing first," she said, finally.

"Willing is a very strong word, Professor," he responded.

"So, you're doing this against your will," she said, frowning at the disappointment she felt.

He gave her a look.

"And you're not?"

"That's different, I don't have a choice," she said, crossing her arms across her chest.

"You think I do?" he demanded.

There was another stare off, and again Hermione was the first to give in.

"I understand that you are doing me a favor, but I'll not have you throwing it in my face every chance you get for the rest of our lives," she said quietly, refusing to look at him.

_The rest of our lives? _

Professor Snape was taken aback. He really hadn't given much thought to what this must be like for her. Binding herself to him for as long as they lived was a prospect that would strike terror in most witches. Yet she was handling it gracefully, and it was clear that she had already accepted it. She'd already accepted him.

"Very well, Professor Granger, once we're married I'll not mention it again."

She glanced up at him, studying his face as if trying to decide if he was mocking her. Finally, she nodded, and settled back in her seat.

"I think we should get married soon. Draco won't be happy when he finds out I'm not choosing him. He might be able to pull some strings to stop us," she said, slowly sipping her whiskey.

"How long can you wait before signing the contract?" he asked.

"Two weeks, but I don't want to wait that long."

His eyes widened in surprise.

"I'd have thought that you'd want to put it off as long as possible."

Hermione shook her head.

"I want it all over and done with. We need to focus on keeping Hogwarts open, and minimize the distractions that this stupid law is providing for our students," she said, vehemently.

Snape nodded slowly.

"Very well. Albus can marry us tomorrow if you'd like," he offered, refilling both of their glasses.

Hermione thought that over and shook her head.

"No, we should wait 'till the weekend. Friday after classes would be best. We'd have the whole weekend to get used to each other, and it shouldn't cause too much of a disruption for the students."

Again he nodded.

"You are welcome to move into the dungeon rooms with me, but don't expect me to move anywhere," he said, giving her a defiant look.

She giggled, obviously the whiskey was beginning to affect her.

"I wouldn't dream of taking you from your beloved dungeons, Professor," she teased.

His lips twitched.

"I think you've had enough to drink," he said taking the glass from her hand.

She pouted but didn't ask for it back.

"I'm keeping my name," she said, suddenly.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"It will be too confusing for the students to have two Professor Snapes, don't you think?"

"Oh, well, you can still allow them to call you Professor Granger, but legally your name will be Snape. That's just how it works."

Hermione frowned at that, but didn't think it was worth arguing about.

"What happens if Albus finds a new Potion's Master? Will you leave Hogwarts? Because you know that I won't," she informed him.

"I'd planned on leaving, but I don't have to. There is some independent research I've been wanting to work on and I can do that just as well here as I can anywhere," he said, dismissively.

Hermione gave him a searching look then bit her lip and looked away.

"What is it?" he asked.

"We need to talk about the wedding night," she said, looking very nervous.

He groaned inwardly.

"Must we? We're both adults, Professor Granger, I think we can figure things out."

Hermione blushed and stood up. She picked up the glass of whiskey again, and swallowed the rest, only coughing slightly as it burned her throat.

"Since that night…" she began, and he was alarmed to see that vacant stare again.

"I haven't let another man touch me."

His face remained impassive, but he inclined his head slightly to encourage her to continue.

"It was painful, and humiliating, and afterwards I swore that I'd never allow myself to be at the mercy of a man again."

Severus was very uncomfortable at the emotions that her words evoked.

"I would never hurt you," he heard himself say.

She gave him a small, sad smile.

"I know. That's why I chose you."

She sighed and sat back down in her seat across from him.

"I know that we're not in love, and that the circumstances of our marriage are not at all romantic. However, I was hoping that, just for that night, we could pretend…" she trailed off, looking at the floor.

"Pretend what?" he asked, his voice sounding strained.

She finally met his gaze.

"I want to pretend like we are in love, and that this is what we both want. I think it will make things easier."

He didn't say anything for the longest time. Hermione was afraid he was trying to come up with the best way to let her down.

Finally, he nodded.

"I'll do whatever you need me to do to make it more bearable for you, Professor Granger," he said.

She sighed in relief and gave him a bright smile.

"You should start calling me Hermione."

She yawned and stretched,

"Well, I can't really think of anything else, can you?"

He shook his head.

"Goodnight, then, Professor," she said and left his rooms.

"Goodnight, Hermione," he said after she was gone.

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Hermione stumbled back to her room, very dizzy. She hardly ever drank, and when she did, it was never anything stronger than a daiquiri. This fire-whiskey had hit her hard and fast.

She pushed open the door to her chambers, and promptly lost her balance, landing face first on the floor.

"Hermione?"

A concerned Harry rushed over and helped her to her feet.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Hermione blew at a few strands of hair that had fallen in her eyes, and Harry stepped back at the strong smell of alcohol on her breath.

"I'm good," she said, finally, then sat down on the floor.

Harry groaned.

"Hermione, I needed your advice! Now I'll have to wait 'til tomorrow!"

Hermione was staring at her hands in fascination.

Sighing in resignation, Harry hauled her to her feet and walked her into her bedroom. Hermione gave a sigh of relief as she fell across her bed.

"Why were you drinking?" he asked as he removed her shoes.

"Snape gave me fire whiskey," she said then yawned.

"Snape? What were you doing with that greasy bastard?"

"I'm marrying him!" she proclaimed with a giggle.

"What!" he demanded.

Hermione suddenly turned serious and her eyes got big.

"Harry? I don't feel so good."

She then threw up on his shoes.

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After summoning a house-elf to clean up the mess and seeing Hermione to bed, Harry trudged back to his rooms feeling a little shell-shocked.

Poor Hermione would have to marry Snape. No wonder she'd gotten drunk. Still, he had to admit that Snape was a better choice than Draco was.

He entered his rooms with a sigh of relief. What a day! His relief quickly turned to annoyance as he surveyed his sitting room covered with gifts from admirers.

How was he ever to gain control of his classes? Death Eaters and Dark Lords he could deal with, giggling girls just perplexed him.

Harry entered his bedroom and studied his reflection in the mirror.

Perhaps if he let himself go, he wouldn't attract so much attention. He could take a page out of Snape's book and stop washing his hair or brushing his teeth. He could be rude and snap at anyone who dared to talk to him.

He grinned imagining the reactions he'd get.

He shook his head and started to undress. Tomorrow he'd talk to Hermione and see if she had any advice.

When Harry crawled into bed, he was suddenly struck by a wave of loneliness. He thought of Ginny and her brilliant red hair and sunny smile. He'd had a crush on her for two years before she died, and he'd never gotten the chance to tell her.

He looked at the empty spot beside him on the bed.

If she'd survived, would she have been here with him now?

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Harry entered the Great Hall the next morning and bit back a grin at the sight of Hermione and Charlie who were both obviously nursing hangovers.

"Rough night?" he asked cheerfully as he sat down on the other side of Hermione.

Charlie reached around to smack him but Harry ducked out of the way and grinned at him.

"Harry, I'm sorry about last night. I don't remember much, but I do remember losing my dinner on your shoes," she said, sheepishly.

"It's alright, Hermione. Although I do need a favor from you," he said, slyly.

Her eyes narrowed, but then she laughed.

"Okay, I guess I owe you," she said with a smile.

"You have to promise to keep this between us. I really don't want Fred and George hearing about this," he said, seriously.

"I won't tell a soul," she promised.

"It's the girls in my class. They keep flirting with me so much that I can't teach."

Hermione laughed, then covered her mouth.

"Sorry, Harry."

He gave a reluctant smile.

"I'd be laughing too if it wasn't happening to me," he admitted.

"So, they're disrupting class? What exactly are they doing?" she asked.

"They wink at me, blow kisses, send me love notes. One girl unbuttoned her shirt so low that, well, let's just say that she didn't leave anything to the imagination," he told her, flushing pink.

"Harry that's awful! What did you do about it?" she demanded, horrified.

He shrugged.

"Nothing. What could I do?"

"Harry, doing nothing is almost as bad as encouraging them. You've got to set them straight. Take away points and hand out detentions with Filch. As long as you put up with it, they'll keep doing it."

Harry cringed.

"I don't want them to hate me," he said, almost whining.

"They won't hate you, Harry. They'll respect you," she said, firmly.

Harry nodded, but didn't look convinced.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

6th year Slytherin Prefect, Melanie Walsh, walked slowly to her Defense Against the Dark Arts class. She always dreaded this class because she had no friends in it, and Professor Potter made her extremely nervous.

It didn't help that he was harder on the Slytherins than any other house, it was almost like he had some personal vendetta against them. Not that he'd ever been rude or singled her out in anyway. The only time he'd ever spoken directly to her was a few weeks ago when he had moved her from 6th year DADA class to 7th year. He'd seemed impressed by her high scores, and had had her perform a patronus charm for him. At the sight of her very defined mustang patronus, he'd immediately wanted her moved to his 7th year class.

"I could use a student in that class who actually knew what they were doing," he'd confessed with a small smile.

His beautiful green eyes had sparkled at her, and she knew she must have turned redder than a tomato.

Then those eyes had landed on her Slytherin Prefect badge and all merriment left his face. He'd quickly dismissed her, and hadn't said anything to her since.

Unfortunately, she didn't really know any of the 7th years, and they'd seemed a bit perturbed when she'd started showing up in their class. But now, most of the students just ignored her. Just like him.

She sighed and went to her seat at the back of the classroom, wishing once again that she could return to the 6th year class. Who cared if she already knew the 6th year curriculum? At least she'd be among friends, and wouldn't feel so lonely.

"Are you back again? Really, it's so pathetic the way you pine after Professor Potter," a snide voice said to her after she sat down.

Janet Odom was tall, blonde, and had curves in all the right places. The 7th year Gryffindor loved to tease Melanie every chance she got, even though it was obvious to everyone that Janet fancied the Professor herself.

Melanie turned to Janet and gave her a foul look.

"Oh, yeah? I'm not the one who gives him a strip tease every day," she retorted, looking pointedly at the other girl's skirt that was four inches higher than regulation.

Janet flushed and opened her mouth to respond, but then Professor Potter entered the room, and she quickly made her way to her seat in the front row.

Janet slowly crossed her long, tan legs, and Professor Potter suddenly seemed unable to look away from them.

Melanie gave a snort of disgust, and opened her text. As she pretended to read she thought about how much she hated Janet, and then realized that she was jealous of the Gryffindor. Not that Melanie really fancied Professor Potter, but Janet was gorgeous. Something that Melanie would never be.

Guys didn't go for the girls that were skinny, short, and pale like her. Her long baby-fine, dark hair was always in a boring braid, and her hazel eyes were much too large for her face. It didn't matter that her robes were the best money could buy, being from an old pureblood family made her more of an outcast to people like Janet.

She looked up just in time to see Janet lean forward enough to give Professor Potter and eyeful. The teacher allowed his gaze to linger on her chest for a moment before resuming his lecture.

Melanie rolled her eyes. Men!

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"So, I'm deducting five points from Gryffindor for your inappropriate behavior in class today and if it happens again I'll give you detention with Filch," Harry said, unable to look the girl in the eye.

"Yes S-sir," Janet said bursting into tears and running from the office.

Harry sighed and then jumped as he heard a suspiciously loud thud.

He stuck his head out of his office door to see one of his students, Melanie Walsh, lying on the floor beside the wall gasping for breath.

"Miss Walsh? Are you okay? What happened?" he asked, helping her to her feet.

Melanie took a few gulping breaths of air before attempting to talk.

"That cow, Janet Odom, knocked me down," she said, agitatedly.

"Well, you seem to be okay now," he said, awkwardly.

"Oh yeah. All except for the huge bruise on my back," she scowled at him.

"I'm not the one who bumped into you," he retorted defensively.

Melanie smiled briefly because he sounded very un-teacher like and then cleared her throat.

"I was actually coming to talk to you about something," she said, suddenly becoming nervous.

"Well, come on in then," he said leading her into the office, and shutting the door behind them.

She sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk while he perched on the corner of the desk.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, looking bored.

"You can move me back to your 6th year class, that's what you can do," she said, peeved at his lack of attention.

"Why? You've got the highest grade in the class," he asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Yes, well with students like Janet Odom that's not much of an accomplishment."

His eyes narrowed.

"Professor, I'm miserable in that class. And I used to really enjoy it! Now I dread it. I have no friends in there, and if I can speak honestly, you don't teach it very well."

"Ten points-"

"But that's not your fault! The students don't pay attention to the lessons because they're too busy winking and blowing kisses at you," she interrupted him.

He just stared at her like he was seeing her for the first time.

"It's distracting to you and to students like me that actually want to learn," she pointed out, and then leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms across her chest.

Harry opened and shut his mouth a few times.

"Look, I understand why you're upset, but I promise that I'm taking care of it. Janet has been warned, and starting tomorrow I'll be taking away house points and assigning detentions for behavior like that," he explained.

She gave him a skeptical look that reminded him vividly of Hermione.

He sighed looking at the ceiling then returned his gaze to hers.

"Give me one week. I promise you'll see marked improvement. If you're still unhappy, I'll move you back to the 6th year class, deal?" he asked, holding out a hand.

"Deal," she said, giving his hand a firm shake.

She looked down at their hands then back up at his face.

"You really did lose a hand," she stated, unnecessarily.

He jerked his hand away like he'd been burned.

"That will be all, Miss Walsh," he said, dismissing her.

End Chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Friday after classes, Hermione returned to her rooms to find that all of her things had already been moved out. The only garment left in her closet was a pair of white satin dress robes. A small card pinned to the sleeve proclaimed it a gift from McGonagall, Hootch, and Flitwick, who were unable to attend at such short notice.

Suddenly, everything became real as it hit her that tonight she'd be having sex with Snape.

The fear that had been absent from her mind for so long, suddenly hit her full-force.

"Just breathe. Everything will be fine. He won't hurt you," she told herself firmly and headed to the bathroom to take a long hot bath.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

In the dungeons, Professor Snape was surveying his rooms a final time. The House-Elves had moved Hermione's things down during lunch, and had meticulously cleaned the entire suite from top to bottom.

He hadn't realized how dirty it had been, and was suddenly thankful that Hermione hadn't had to see it in that state.

He entered the bedroom, and stared at the newly made bed, feeling a bit of trepidation. It had been years since he'd been with a woman. Hermione had been raped and had never been with anyone else since then.

A brightly colored package on the bedside table caught his eyes.

Upon closer inspection he found that it was a wedding gift from Albus.

Snape carefully scanned it for jinxes with his wand before opening it. You just never knew with Dumbledore.

He hesitantly removed the soft cloth from the box and saw that it was a nightshirt.

He was angry and embarrassed at the choice of gift, but grudgingly admitted that it would be much better to wear the brand new cream-colored nightshirt than one of his old worn gray ones on his wedding night.

Severus walked into the bathroom, and grimaced at his scars and disfigurations in the mirror. How could he possibly expect her to find pleasure in his arms while staring at his horrid face?

Perhaps he could convince her that they should keep the lights off for the ordeal.

Even with all the odds stacked against him, he was determined to do the best he could for her. The potion he'd made for her would just about guarantee pregnancy, so he'd never have to inflict himself on her again. But a tiny part of him hoped that she might enjoy it enough to want to do it again. To want him.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Hermione was trembling by the time Harry and Ron came to escort her to the Headmaster's Office, where the ceremony would take place. It was late and the students would be in their dormitories, so there was little chance they'd be seen.

Professor Dumbledore would announce their marriage to the students Saturday at dinner. By then, their marriage would be legal and consummated. And hopefully the potion Snape made for her would have worked and she'd be pregnant. It wasn't that Hermione was anxious to be a mother; she was just worried that Malfoy would find some loophole and be able to marry her anyway. But if she were married and already pregnant before Malfoy even found out then there'd be nothing that he could do about it.

Hermione's dark cloak effectively concealed the beautiful white robes, so that even on the off chance that a student did see her, they would have no idea what she was up to.

The Headmaster's Office had been tastefully decorated in white and pink fabrics with ribbons and carnations to match. Severus was already there and looked a bit out of place in his black velvet dress robes. His hair looked slightly damp, as if it had just been washed, and was effectively covering the left side of his face so that no scars were visible.

Albus Dumbledore beamed at her from behind a pulpit that had been conjured for the occasion. She smiled shyly back at him, and went to stand beside Snape, who firmly grasped her hand.

Harry and Ron stood behind the bride and groom as witnesses. There were no others attending. Hermione had been afraid of what Fred and George might try to pull, and so had insisted that Harry and Ron be the only two there.

The ceremony was short and simple, and didn't even include a kiss. At the conclusion, Hermione pulled out her contract from Snape and signed her name. The contract disappeared with a flash a second later. Then Albus, Hermione, Severus, Ron and Harry each took a turn signing the marriage license.

"I'll see this to the Ministry myself. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Snape, I look forward to celebrating tomorrow evening," Albus said, and then ushered them all out of his office.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

After saying goodnight to Harry and Ron, Hermione allowed her new husband to escort her to his, er **their **chambers.

Walking through the door Hermione was pleasantly surprised to find that the rooms had been thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom. Her books had been added to his bookshelves, and several of her pictures and decorations were distributed throughout.

"You can move things around if you want. I just let the house-elves put things were they wanted," he said, looking slightly apprehensive.

"No, this is good. Almost feels like home already," she said, giving him a shy smile.

He looked relieved and then led her into the bedroom.

Hermione took her time looking around and familiarizing herself with everything. At the same time she was cursing herself for putting off the inevitable.

She glared at her trembling hands as she pulled a nightgown out of the dresser drawer.

"I'm going to change out of these robes," she said, hoping her voice didn't sound as anxious as she felt.

He nodded, and she quickly went into the bathroom.

As soon as the door shut, Severus walked over and removed his new nightshirt from the dresser. He hastily undressed and pulled on the nightshirt, scowling at his reflection in the mirror.

He smoothed his hair down over he left side of his face, and then waved his wand to distinguish all of the light in the room.

The bathroom door opened, and he turned to see Hermione silhouetted.

"Severus?" she asked, slightly frightened as her eyes darted around the dark room.

"It's alright, Hermione," he whispered stepping forward and grabbing her hand.

He turned out the bathroom lights, plunging them into complete darkness.

"Severus, I don't like this. I can't see you," she whispered.

"Trust me, its better this way," he said before kissing her.

Hermione tried her best to enjoy the kiss, but her heart was beginning to race, and it had nothing to do with arousal.

Suddenly she stiffened and pulled away from him.

"I can't do this, I need to see you," she said, fighting panic.

Severus suddenly felt like a fool. Of course she'd need to see him! Faceless men had raped her, and in the dark like this it would be almost as bad.

He quickly re-lit most of the candles, and she gave an audible sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I didn't think… I thought it would be better if you couldn't see my face…" he mumbled, staring at the floor.

"Please don't ever think that. These scars are a testament to how far you would go to protect me. How could I possibly not want to see them?" she asked, moving his hair back away from his face, and gently running a finger down his scarred cheek.

He caught her hand in his.

"Do you really mean that?" he asked, hoarsely.

Her answer was to pull his head down and kiss him. She kissed him like she'd never kissed anyone, as if she was trying to put her heart and soul into it.

His insecurity touched her, and for a moment she actually felt grateful for the damn law that had forced them together. Hermione knew that she wasn't in love with him, but felt that with time, she very well could be. And what better way to repay him for saving her, than by giving him her heart.

For the first time in six years, Severus Snape forgot his scars. He paid no mind to the fact that his hair was no longer keeping his hideous face from her view. He simply received her kiss, allowing a part of himself to heal.

He slipped his arms around her waist, and pulled her against him, tilting his head to deepen the kiss.

The sweet feelings of affection slowly ebbed away, and the ugly fear that had held her captive for the past six years clamped down upon her again.

Hermione stiffened, she couldn't help it. She felt trapped wrapped so tightly in his arms and jerked away.

She fell to her knees and looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I want to do this, I just… can't," she whispered, then buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

Severus sighed and sat down next to her, not sure what he should do.

He tentatively placed a hand on her back, and when she didn't pull away began rubbing small circles.

Gradually, her sobs quieted and she began leaning into his touch. He smirked and added his other hand, increasing pressure.

Soon, Hermione was letting out soft moans as he kneaded the tense muscles in her back and neck.

When he was confident that she was relaxed enough to think clearly again, he stopped and got to his feet.

He could see some of the fear return to her eyes when he held out a hand to help her up.

"Come on, Hermione, I want to show you something," he said, and she reluctantly placed her hand in his.

He led her into the closet on the far wall, and Hermione watched in surprise as he pushed back some robes to reveal a door.

He gestured for her to open it.

Curiosity got the best of her, and she reached for the knob.

It opened easily, and she was a little disappointed to see nothing but a shoe rack filled with their shoes.

He smirked at the look she gave him.

"Shut it, and give me your left hand," he commanded.

Severus touched his wand to the palm of her hand and muttered an incantation that she couldn't quite hear.

Her palm glowed green for a few seconds, and then the light faded away.

"Now open it," he said.

She reached for the doorknob again with her right hand, but he stopped her.

"No, use the left hand."

Again she looked at him like she thought he'd lost his mind, but she did as instructed.

The door opened and she gasped in surprise at the room that now lay behind it.

It was obviously his private lab.

A long table was lined with ten cauldrons of different sizes. There were cabinets filled with ingredients, some of which were very rare. And on the very back wall, there were shelves and shelves of bound parchments, containing notes on every experiment that Professor Snape had ever done.

"Wow," she breathed, impressed.

"I thought you'd like it," he smirked, but then scowled at her.

"I've now given you access to my private labs, don't make me regret it. No one but you is allowed in here, and you will ask before using any of the ingredients, understood?"

"Yes, Sir," she said, unable to hide her pleased smile.

He nodded, and then waved his wand at the wall.

A list of ingredients and the instructions for a potion appeared in his handwriting.

"You have thirty minutes, begin," he commanded, then sat on a stool and watched her.

Hermione had to bite her lip to keep from laughing, but she found her disciplined self automatically obeying. It was almost like she was a student again.

She walked over to the cabinets and reached for the first item on the ingredient list. Her hand was about to close over the bottle of armadillo bile, but she suddenly froze and turned her head to look at him.

"Professor may I?" she asked.

He nodded, looking pleased.

Hermione soon lost herself in the methodical slicing and brewing. She made the courage potion expertly, and it was bottled and handed to Severus long before her time was up.

He made a big deal about inspecting it, by sniffing it, and holding it up to the light.

"Well, there is only one way to know for sure that it was done correctly," he said finally, handing the potion back to her.

Without hesitation, she swallowed the whole thing.

"Well?" he asked after a moment of silence.

They were both surprised when Hermione suddenly flung herself into his arms. She grabbed his hands, and put them on her waist titling her head so that their mouths would meet.

Severus carefully tightened his grip on her, and was pleased when she pressed closer to him.

The potion had pushed aside her fear.

Nearly grinning in triumph, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her back into the bedroom.

Hermione felt incredible. For six years she had been plagued by fear; had suffered as it ate away at her. How had she managed? She felt like she could do anything, and was amused to realize that she wanted to have sex with Severus.

He laid her on the bed, and she pulled him down on top of her, kissing him and relishing her newfound freedom.

He broke the kiss and smirked down at her.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were under the influence of a lust potion," he commented, wryly.

"A lust potion isn't necessary," she whispered to him.

He gulped audibly as her eyes dilated and her hands began roaming south.

"For the first time in six years, I'm not afraid. Make love to me, Severus." She commanded, huskily.

"Yes Ma'am," he responded.

The slowly undressed each other, kissing naked flesh as it was reveled.

Severus had scars all over his torso, and Hermione took special care to kiss each one.

It didn't take long before they had kissed and caressed each other to a frenzy, and Severus rolled them so that she was on top.

He nearly lost control when she took him in her hand to position him beneath her.

Hermione was beginning to feel a little of the fear return at the size of him, but she resolutely pushed it aside and began lowering herself onto him.

There was no pain, only a slightly uncomfortable fullness as her body adjusted to him, but even that didn't last long. Unfortunately, Severus didn't either.

She'd barely begun to ride him before her was gasping her name and arching his back.

When he stilled, she rolled off of him and tried to control her breathing.

"You know, I always thought there was more to it than that," she commented, slightly annoyed.

He snorted.

"Sorry, dearest," he said sarcastically.

Severus turned his head to look at her, and she realized that his normally sallow complexion was slightly tinged in pink. He was embarrassed!

"Give me a minute to catch my breath, and I'll show you more," he promised, catching a curly strand of her hair and wrapping it around his finger.

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Rachel Collins read the parchment for a second time in disbelief. Charlie Weasley? Could it really be him? Did he even remember her? She hadn't even thought he knew her name.

In her third year at Hogwarts she was the victim of a vicious practical joke. She was a Ravenclaw who took great pride in her grades and spent most of her time studying in the library.

There was a fourth year Slytherin boy named Gerald Drake who spent almost as much time in the library as she did.

One day, instead of sitting at his normal table in the back corner, he walked over to her and introduced himself.

From that day on they spent all of their library time together. He helped her with Potion essays and she helped him with Transfiguration ones. Rachel had never met a boy who was as passionate about his studies as she was, and quickly found herself falling for him.

Unfortunately, Gerald completely ignored her outside of the library. He had a group of Slytherin friends who liked to bully other house members, especially third years.

One day he called her a 'boring bookworm' in the Great Hall, causing his friends to laugh at her with malice. Her heart broke at his cruel words, and she stayed away from the library for several days, not wanting to see him.

When she finally did return, on a Hogsmeade Saturday so that she might be alone, he was there.

He came right over to her, and started asking her questions about Transfiguration as if nothing had happened.

She confronted him and, to her utter humiliation, started crying.

Gerald turned sweet then, pulling her into a hug to comfort her. He explained that things were bad in Slytherin House and that his time with her in the library was the one good thing that he looked forward to everyday.

He kissed her then, and Rachel melted.

Later it occurred to her that he had never apologized for what he'd said.

They went back to their regular routine after that. Rachel always made sure she avoided him outside of the library though.

At the final Quidditch match of the year, Rachel was persuaded by her dorm mates to cheer on the Gryffindor team against Slytherin. Part of her felt guilty for not supporting Slytherin since that was the house her sort of boyfriend was in, but since he didn't acknowledge her in public, she wouldn't him either.

It was the first Quidditch game she'd ever attended at Hogwarts, as she'd spent the previous ones in the library. Also, she was terrified of heights, and the thought of flying a broom was enough to make her sick. However, she couldn't help but gaze, mesmerized at Charlie Weasley as he showed off on the pitch.

The game didn't last long, and as the Gryffindors began to celebrate their victory, Gerald came over to her.

She was shocked that he was actually allowing himself to be seen with her.

"Let's take a walk," he said, dark eyes gleaming, as he took her hand.

Rachel was so excited that she willingly went with him away from the stands.

It was after they were out of earshot of the crowd that she realized he was holding a broom.

"Why do you have a broom?" she asked, feeling the first flicker of fear deep in her stomach.

He knew she was terrified of heights.

Gerald gave her a wicked grin, and before she realized what was going on, she found herself clinging to his back to keep from falling off of the broom that was wildly flying toward the Forbidden Forest.

She cried out and he told her to shut up if she didn't want to get hurt.

He flew in close to a particularly tall tree, and pushed her off of the broom toward it.

She screamed and grabbed frantically at the branches. It took a few minutes to get a good enough grip so that she wouldn't fall.

Gerald watched her struggling with a vacant look in his eyes.

"Why?" she gasped at him, trying not to look down.

"You should never have agreed to walk with me." He said, almost sadly.

Then he was gone and she was alone at the top of a tree in the middle of the forest.

Rachel screamed until she was hoarse, and then cried silently.

She was so terrified and heartbroken, that she was actually contemplating letting go when she saw Him.

His bright red hair gleamed in the setting sun as he zoomed toward her.

The expression on his face was a mixture of rage and fear.

Charlie flew right up to the tree, and pulled her into his arms.

She wrapped her arms and legs around his torso and buried her face in his chest.

He held her tightly against him with one arm while the other directed the broomstick.

"I know that you're afraid of heights, but I can't land in the middle of the forest. Just keep your face turned away and I'll go slow, alright?"

His voice was soothing and melodic and she nodded with her face still pressed against his chest.

It took longer to get back, but Rachel felt safe wrapped securely around him and was so emotionally exhausted that she fell asleep.

When she awoke he was laying her down in a bed in the infirmary while talking heatedly to Professors Flitwick, McGonagall, and Snape.

"I went back because I left my sweater at the pitch and I heard the group of them laughing about it," he said, angrily.

Madam Pomfrey shooed the Professors away and began examining her.

"You've had quite a day, poor dear. This potion will help you sleep well," she said and practically poured the concoction down her throat.

Charlie Weasley graduated a few weeks later and she'd never seen or heard from him again.

Rachel shook her head and stared at the letter again. She couldn't believe that Charlie had remembered her, much less wanted to marry her. He must have heard about her other contract.

Still, the prospect of marrying him instead of Vincent Crabbe was very appealing.

She smiled slightly as she reached for her quill and quickly signed the contract which immediately vanished.

Her knight in shining armor was coming to her rescue again.

A few minutes later she received an owl from Charlie. He wanted her to join him for dinner at The Leaky Cauldron Saturday night to discuss things.

She turned with a smug smile to floo her brother. She'd told him that everything would work out okay.

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Hermione awoke disoriented the next morning and had to lay still to allow her mind to catch up with her. She was married now, Mrs. Hermione Snape. She turned to look at her husband who was sleeping with his back to her.

She slipped out of bed as quietly as possible and pulled on her nightgown that had been hastily thrown to the floor the night before. She walked slowly to the bathroom, each step reminding her of what had happened with a slightly painful twinge in her abdomen.

When she left the bathroom, Severus was no longer in bed. She walked out to the sitting room and saw that a table piled with breakfast food had been set up for them.

He was seated at the table reading the _Daily Prophet_ while sipping on coffee.

"Good morning," she said with a bright smile.

He jumped and spilled hot coffee on his arm.

"Shit!"

Severus glared at her and quickly cleaned up the mess with a simple flick of his wand.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she apologized as she sat down across from him.

He looked like he was about to yell, but then thought better of it and shook his head at her.

"Forget it," he muttered and straightened out his paper.

Hermione picked at the food in front of her, unnerved by the silence in the room.

"So, do you think it worked?" she asked, breaking the silence.

He jumped again, slightly, at the sound of her voice and looked up at her in annoyance.

"What?" he asked.

"The potion. Do you think I'm pregnant?"

"It should have, although we can't be certain until seventy-two hours have passed," he said and turned back to his paper.

Silence descended again.

"So, if I'm not pregnant by Monday night, we'll try again?" she asked.

"I guess we'll have to, won't we," he answered, not looking up from the paper this time.

More silence.

"Severus?"

"What now?" he demanded in exasperation.

"Did I… I mean, was it okay?" she asked.

"Was what okay?"

"I mean, last night… Did I do something wrong?"

"No, why would you think that?" he questioned, bewildered.

"Well, you seem to be upset with me about something," she pointed out.

He groaned and held up the paper to block her from his view.

"Please tell me what I did to upset you," she persisted stubbornly.

"The only thing upsetting me is your bloody yammering while I'm trying to read the paper," he growled.

Hermione huffed and slammed her fist on the table.

"What is wrong with you this morning?" she demanded, angrily.

Severus stood up and threw the paper across the room.

"Why are you persisting with this idiotic line of questioning? There is nothing about me now that has changed since yesterday. This," he gestured to the scattered paper in the floor and then back at himself, "is just how I am!"

She stood up too.

"You were different last night. You weren't like this," she spat.

He gave her an evil grin.

"That was last night. We were pretending, remember?"

Hermione's head jerked back like he'd slapped her. Her hand covered her mouth, and she let out a sob.

"Stop it!" he yelled, "You knew what I was like before you agreed to marry me, and I won't have you sniveling every time I say something you don't like."

She took several deep breaths and was finally able to get herself under control.

He was looking at her with an angry scowl on his face, but his eyes looked anxious and perhaps a little scared.

"You're right," she admitted ruefully, "I'd just hoped that after last night you had changed.

Severus walked around the table and grabbed her upper arms, pulling her close to him.

"Let's get something straight right now. I am the way that I am, and no one, not even you, will ever change me!"

Hermione pulled away and he let her go.

Spinning on her heel she headed for the bedroom door.

"Where are you going?" he asked, suspiciously.

He began to worry that maybe he'd gone to far.

"To take a bath and to forget that last night ever happened!" she yelled and slammed the door shut behind her.

He smirked and turned to go to his desk. Anger was much better than tears. And with that thought, he began what promised to be several hours of grading papers.

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Harry had wondered how long it would take before he received a contract for himself. As the hero who vanquished the Dark Lord, he knew it would only be a matter of time before the contracts started rolling in. It had surprised him that he hadn't had one yet, not that he minded.

He didn't want to get married. Any witch who submitted a contract would do so solely for his status and money. That was no way to find a spouse. His better half; the woman he'd spend the rest of his life with.

He sighed and looked at the newly delivered Ministry envelope that was sinking lower into his bowl of oatmeal.

Ron shook his head at him and grabbed the envelope before it disappeared completely.

"C'mon mate, you knew you'd get one soon," he said, wiping the oatmeal off of it with a napkin.

Harry scowled at him and reached for the envelope, then hesitated.

"You open it," he said, refilling his glass with water.

Ron rolled his eye and tore it open.

Harry watched his friend's face carefully looking for some kind of clue.

Ron's one eye widened in shock and his jaw dropped.

"You're not gonna believe this," he said passing the letter to Harry.

_Marriage Contract in ordinance with the Marriage Law_

_Contractor: Patrick Alan Walsh on behalf of Melanie Anne Walsh_

_Contracted: Harry James Potter_

End Chapter 4


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Okay, a lot of people have said that Snape is acting wrong. Well, I disagree. Snape is a mean, nasty old man. However, when it all comes down, he will make the right choice. He saved Hermione and her family that night, even though it might have meant his own death. (As the story moves on, I will revisit everything that happened that fateful night.) Because of what he witnessed that night, he developed a soft spot for her. This freaked him out, and that's why he avoided her and didn't even open her letter. Six years later she needs his help again.

Snape is tolerant of her when he first sees her again, because of that soft-spot. But you'll notice that in the light of day he quickly reverts to being a bastard again. Hermione stands up to him, and shocks him with her acceptance and trust. She asks that they pretend for that one night to be in love, and Snape cannot deny her that. However, as gentle and romantic as he proved he could be, that's just not him. He wants to be loved, but he'll never admit it. Hermione is intelligent enough to figure that out, and she will. But it won't be easy. It's more interesting this way, and I plan on having a lot of fun with their relationship. I promise it won't be angsty!

One more thing. Melanie Anne Walsh is Harry's student! If you don't remember her, go back and read chapter 3 again, or this chapter really won't make sense.

Chapter 5

"It looks like Professor Potter has a marriage contract," Melanie's friend Genelle commented at breakfast Saturday morning.

Melanie looked up from her scrambled eggs and scowled. "So? Who cares about the stupid marriage law," she said, irritably.

"What's wrong with you? It's not like we have to worry about it yet. We're only sixteen," Genelle reminded her.

"Genelle? Do you not remember what we did last night?" Melanie asked, trying to hold onto her temper.

"Yes, we celebrated your birthday- Oh! You're seventeen now!"

Genelle had been Melanie's best friend since they were first years, but she wasn't known for her mental abilities.

"Father said he'd be sending a contract out today, although he hadn't decided who it would be for yet."

"Does that mean you have to get married soon? Will you leave Hogwarts before you graduate?"

Melanie eyes filled with tears. "I hope not, but what choice will I have?"

"Don't cry, Lanie, maybe they'll let you go ahead and take your NEWTs. You're so smart-" Genelle broke off with a gasp.

Melanie looked up to see Professor Potter glaring down at her.

"Miss Walsh, my office, now," he bit out then spun on his heal and left the hall.

Melanie shrugged at Genelle and quickly followed after him wondering what she'd done this time.

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Harry was so upset he could barely speak. He gestured for her to take a seat and slammed the door to the office shut.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, throwing the contract at her. He watched her as she picked up the paper and read.

Her eyes widened and she looked up at him in shock.

"Well?" he asked, feeling some of the anger drain away, as it became obvious to him that she hadn't known about the contract.

"Well what? My father said he was going to submit a contract for me. He never said to whom. I'm just as much at the mercy of this law as you are you know," she retorted, crossing her arms.

He studied her face for a minute.

"You look relieved," he commented.

She actually smiled at him.

"I am. I thought I'd have to marry someone who'd make me quit school, but since you're a Professor I don't have to worry about that," she explained.

"I can't marry you. You're my student," he protested.

She rolled her eyes and stood up.

"Are you finished? I'm suddenly very hungry, and breakfast will only be available for a few more minutes," she informed him briskly.

He opened and shut his mouth a few times, silently. "We have to discuss this," he said finally.

"Can we wait 'til tonight? Maybe some of the shock will have worn off and you'll be more coherent," she sneered.

"Why you little…"

"What? Slytherin? Yeah I am in Slytherin. That's why you're so upset about marrying me isn't?" she demanded.

"What? No! That has nothing to do with it. You're my student!"

"Yeah right! If it were Janet Odom you had to marry you wouldn't be so opposed," she practically spat at him.

His mouth hung open and he was clearly at a loss for words.

She suddenly gave him a calculating look.

"Or maybe it's not the whole Slytherin/Gryffindor thing. It's me. My body. My breasts aren't large enough, and my legs aren't long enough…" she trailed off and turned her gaze to the floor.

Harry sighed and ran a hand down his face.

"I think you were right about waiting until tonight to discuss this. I need to think about it some more before we talk," he said, finally.

Melanie looked up at the clock on the wall and frowned.

"Breakfast is over," she said, sadly.

"Just go to the kitchens. The elves will make you anything you want," he said, absently.

"Kitchen? I don't know where that is," she said, curiously.

He looked up at her in surprise.

"What? Not every student here is a delinquent like you were. Wandering around where they're not supposed to after hours," she said, smugly.

She reminded him so much of Snape at that moment that Harry nearly laughed out loud. It occurred to him, that this was just the way Melanie was. She wasn't trying to be mean or disrespectful; she was verbally sparring with him.

"Well, your loss then," he said and sat down at his desk pretending to read over a parchment.

Melanie crossed her arms over her chest and settled down to wait him out.

Harry wondered how long it would be before she finally gave up and left. A loud growling filled the room and he was startled to realize that it was coming from the girl's stomach.

Sighing in defeat, he said, "On the first floor at the end of the hall there is a painting of fruit. Tickle the pear and you'll find the kitchens." He didn't glance up from the parchment, but heard the door open and slam shut a few seconds later.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Harry pounded on the dungeon door for a good five minutes before a very peeved Professor Snape yanked it opened.

He sneered at Harry then promptly slammed the door shut in his face.

Hermione was soaking in the tub finally feeling the anger and hurt begin to fade, when the bathroom door was slammed open.

Snape barreled into the room practically screaming.

"Not here! I refuse to allow that arrogant bastard…" he trailed off as his gaze became transfixed on her naked breasts.

Hermione scowled, and quickly covered herself.

He blinked and shook his head.

"Make him leave!" he growled finally, and marched out of the room.

Hermione mentally counted to ten before she climbed out of the tub and grabbed her bathrobe. As she walked toward the door to their chambers, she could hear Harry pounding and yelling at Snape to open the door.

Severus had re-seated himself at his desk and was scribbling furiously on a poor third year's essay.

"Open the damn door!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and yanked the door open.

"What the hell is so important…" she began.

"Sorry, Hermione. But I need your help," Harry said desperately as he shoved the contract under her nose.

"Potter needs your help, imagine that," Snape called, sarcastically from his desk.

Hermione ignored him and quickly scanned the parchment in front of her. She looked up at Harry with an annoyed glare when she'd finished.

"So?" she huffed, putting her hands on her hips.

"So? I'm being forced to marry a student and all you can say, is 'so'?"

At this statement Snape began to laugh maniacally.

Hermione turned around and gave him her most putout look but he merely waved at her and turned back to his marking.

"I don't see the big deal, Harry. We all have to get married and start repopulating the Wizarding World, why should you be any exception?" she demanded.

"But… but I'm too old for her…"

Hermione snorted.

"Oh please, Harry. You're what, six or seven years older? Severus is twenty-two years older than I am!"

"Twenty-one and a half," came the indignant yell from her husband.

"But that's different…"

"How is that different? Harry I'm sorry that she's not who you would have chosen, but please remember that you're not the only one being forced into this. The poor girl is probably terrified of you."

"I wish," he grumbled.

She glared at him.

"What's wrong with her?"

Harry sighed and to his embarrassment felt a tear slip from his eye.

"She's not Ginny," he said simply.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione's annoyance instantly vanished and she pulled him into a hug.

"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Snape bellowed and was yet again, ignored.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Charlie nervously fidgeted in a booth at the Leaky Cauldron that night. He'd arrived early, hoping that he could get settled and be more comfortable when she arrived. Unfortunately, with every passing moment he became more nervous and agitated.

Rachel Collins. The name seemed vaguely familiar somehow. She would have started Hogwarts when he was a fifth year, so it's very possible that he had seen her and heard her name before. He smiled ruefully; perhaps he'd just taken too many hits to the head in Romania.

Rachel absently ran a hand threw her long honey-blonde locks as her eyes scanned the pub. Charlie's bright red hair was easy to spot among the bland, dark colors that decorated the room.

He smiled at her when their eyes met, but it was an absent smile that you'd give a stranger.

Rachel felt a little disappointed that he hadn't recognized her, but then it had been several years since he'd seen her. She walked over and sat down opposite him in the booth.

"You don't recognize me, do you?" she asked, hoping she was wrong.

His warm brown eyes focused more intently on her face.

"Should I?" he asked.

Even if he didn't recognize her by now, he ought to have at least figured out who she was.

"Rachel Collins? You submitted a contract for me. Do you remember that?" she demanded and then blushed at her own rudeness.

"I'm sorry. I've had a very trying day. St. Mungo's rejected my application," she explained, lowering her eyes to the table.

"No, that's okay. You obviously know me, have I met you before?" he asked, feeling slightly embarrassed. Meeting a pretty blonde woman was just not something that Charlie would normally forget.

Her face fell, and she was dismayed to feel the tears stinging her eyes.

"It's been several years, don't worry about it," she said stiffly.

Charlie was truly stumped. Although there was something familiar about those lovely hazel eyes, he couldn't place her. However, he could tell that she had met him before and this meeting must have been important to her for it to cause such a reaction.

"Look, Rachel, I'm sorry, really I am. I mean, I must be a bigger idiot than I thought to forget someone as pretty as you," he apologized.

He was rewarded with a blush and a small smile. "Help me out?" he pleaded with his best puppy-dog look.

She rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. "I was the student you rescued from the tree," she said finally.

Charlie's jaw dropped and the memory of that night came back to him in vivid detail.

It was the last Quidditch game of his Hogwarts career. They had won of course, clobbering Slytherin once again. The celebration was about to begin when he realized that he'd left his sweater at the pitch. It was one his Mum had made him and he knew she'd be cross if he lost it.

Telling his friends and teammates that he'd catch up, he headed back to the pitch, but stopped when he noticed a group of fourth year Slytherins snickering cruelly in a circle.

"You should have seen her face when she realized I was just gonna leave her there on that tree! Can you imagine? A witch terrified of heights!"

They laughed uproariously.

"A night in the forest on a tree ought to teach that stuck-up Ravenclaw where her place is."

Charlie's stomach lurched and without another thought he took off for the Forbidden Forrest on his broomstick.

His sharp brown eyes desperately scanned the treetops until he caught the sight of a tangle of blonde hair whipping in the breeze.

Tears were streaming down her dirty cheeks and her face was very pale with fright. She was tightly clinging to the tree while looking down at the ground below her as if she was considering letting go.

Charlie didn't give her the chance. As soon as he could reach her, he pulled her firmly to him, and felt her wrap her arms and legs around his waist.

She was petite and seemed so fragile against him, shaking like a leaf. He wrapped one arm around her, holding her tightly and was relived to feel her relax slightly.

He spoke to her soothingly, as if he was talking to Ginny and slowly flew them back to the school.

By the time he reached the castle, she had fallen asleep.

Charlie dismounted and gently lifted her into his arms. She sighed and tucked her head under his chin.

He could feel himself blush slightly at the attention they received as he made his way to the infirmary. The closer he got the angrier he became. It was unthinkable that anyone could do something so cruel to such a defenseless little girl.

He ran into Professor McGonagall on the way, and gave her a brief version of events. The stern Professor's face softened slightly as she gazed at the small girl curled up in his arms.

He left her in the infirmary after giving Professors Flitwick and Snape a thorough recounting of what had happened. And that was the last he'd seen of her. He didn't know her name and became so wrapped up in studies that he forgot to ask. His NEWTs had taken place a few days later, and then he'd graduated and moved to Romania. He really didn't give her much thought after that.

Charlie reached across the table and took her hands in his.

"I never knew your name. I was so wrapped up in preparing for the NEWTs and then graduation and my apprenticeship in Romania, that I forgot to look for you," he explained.

Rachel could feel her pulse beginning to race. His warm hands gently held hers, his thumbs caressing her wrists. She could feel herself drowning in his coffee colored eyes.

A rude passerby who bit out, "Oh, get a room" broke the moment.

They both blushed and Charlie reluctantly let go of her hands.

"Why did you submit a contract for me then, if you really didn't know me?" she questioned.

"Your brother wrote me a letter…" he began.

Rachel groaned and buried her face in her hands.

"That meddling little…"

"He was concerned, Rachel, and rightly so. Everyone knows that the Crabbes were in deep with the Death Eaters. I would have done the same thing for my sister," his voice broke on the last word, and he looked down so that she wouldn't see the tears in his eyes.

Rachel felt a sharp pang of empathy. She'd read about the four Weasleys deaths in the _Daily Prophet _six years ago. At the time she remembered feeling a slight sense of relief that Charlie wasn't among them, but had never really given it much thought. So many had died, that all of the names that she'd read began to run together in her mind. If she had forced herself to stop and think about each individual that she'd known who'd passed, well, there's no doubt she'd have fallen into a deep depression.

She'd been a healing apprentice for three years at St. Mungo's when the war injuries starting rolling in. As a student, she'd learned more about healing in the final three months of the war than she had since. Years later, her dreams were still haunted by the screams and moans of the dying, and the unnatural silence of the dead.

Rachel knew that she was very lucky that none of her immediate family were hurt. She had lost several friends and acquaintances though.

She hesitantly took his hand in hers.

"I'm sorry about your family. I can't imagine how awful it must have been for you," she murmured softly.

His hand tightened around hers as if he was drawing strength from her.

"You'd think after six years the pain would fade. It hasn't," he confessed, looking up at her from under his lashes.

Charlie could see the sadness in her eyes, and nearly kicked himself for upsetting her. He released her hand and cleared his throat.

"We didn't come here to reminisce," he said firmly.

She nodded and took a deep breath to clear her head.

An awkward silence descended.

"So, tell me more about this healing position," she told him.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The Great Hall was decorated in much the same way, as Dumbledore's office had been the night before. White and pink fabrics draped the walls, and carnations of the same color fell like snow from the ceiling disappearing before they hit anything.

A large pink and white wedding cake was displayed in the middle of the Head Table. On the top were two miniature figurines of Hermione and Severus. The Severus figurine had his back to the room, and was tapping his foot impatiently while glaring at Dumbledore. The Hermione figurine was smiling uncertainly at the students, pausing every few seconds to turn an icy glare at the Snape figurine.

Hermione and Severus groaned in unison as they entered the Hall for dinner. Upon seeing them, the Headmaster jumped to his feet and loudly cleared his throat.

All conversations stopped.

"May I introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Severus Snape," he declared raising his goblet in a toast.

A round of hesitant clapping lasting all of thirty seconds followed the announcement.

Hermione and Severus looked at each other and nodded. In a move that looked practiced, they spun around and walked right back out.

Dumbledore was nonplussed.

"Who wants cake?"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Melanie slowly made her way toward Professor Potter's office. She was in a foul mood and instinctively knew that dealing with him now was not going to make her feel better.

Word had quickly spread that she and Professor Potter would be married and her fellow Slytherins had been awful to her.

Genelle had pulled her aside and explained that she'd been threatened by some of the older Slytherins. They would torment her, unless she ended their friendship.

"But I don't care what anyone says, Lanie! We've been best friends for years and I'll stand by you no matter who you have to marry," Genelle had declared passionately.

Genelle was sweet and loyal, and Melanie found herself wondering, not for the first time, why the girl had been sorted into Slytherin.

"No, Gen, I think it's better if we separate for a while. Those students can be really mean and I'd feel terrible if they hurt you just for being my friend."

Now she was separated from the only real friend she'd ever had and was about to be forced to marry a man who clearly didn't want her.

Melanie reached his office door and paused, frowning. She had no idea what kind of mood he would be in and honestly didn't think she could stand it if one more person was rude to her.

Sighing dejectedly, she knocked.

"Come in," he called, sounding much more relaxed and put together than she felt.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Harry had been waiting for her knock. He'd spent most of the day coming up with a plan. Of course, it was mostly Hermione's idea, but he'd helped.

He felt much better now that he had "The Plan" and couldn't wait to tell her about it.

However, when she walked through the door, he was surprised to see how miserable she looked.

"What's wrong?" he asked before he could stop himself.

Melanie glared at him and then looked at the ground.

"What did you want to discuss?" she asked, snippily, not looking at him.

Harry just stared at her for a moment, wondering what she could possibly be so unhappy about. Just this morning she'd been relieved to be marrying him. What had changed?

"Please have a seat," he said, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk as he sat in his own.

Melanie slowly sat down, still not looking at him.

"Tell me what's wrong," he commanded, unnerved at her silence.

"It's personal," she said, finally lifting her gaze to him, albeit defensively.

They stared at each other for a minute.

"Okay, I spent the day thinking and I've come up with a plan," he began.

She snorted.

"What?" he demanded.

"Nothing, please continue. I can't wait to hear what you've come up with," she smirked, feeling a bit of the day's tension start to fade.

Having Harry Potter as a husband would be amusing if nothing else.

"Hermione and I discussed it, and-"

"Who?" she interrupted eyes narrowing.

It hadn't occurred to her that Professor Potter might have a girlfriend or something.

"Professor Granger, well, Snape now. I guess that's one of the first things you need to know. She, Ron Weasley, the Quidditch coach, and I have been best friends since we were first years. So you can expect to see a lot of them."

Her eyes clouded over at the words 'best friends' and he wondered again what had upset her.

"Anyway, you have the highest marks in your year, and Hermione thinks that with some extra private tutoring, and if you don't take the summer off, you can be ready to take your NEWTs by next Christmas," he continued.

"Gee, that sounds like fun," she said sarcastically.

He glared at her.

"Okay, fine. I study really hard and take my NEWTs at Christmas, then what?" she asked.

He blushed and looked away from her as he continued.

"There is a potion you can take that can almost ensure you get pregnant the first time we… you know. Because of your age and status as a student, the contract allows us two years before we have to have a child."

Melanie almost laughed at him.

"But what about the wedding night? Aren't we required to sleep together then?" she asked.

She was amused again by how red he was turning.

"Yes, but you can take a potion to prevent pregnancy then," he said, wanting desperately to talk about something else.

"So, let me get this straight. You and I will marry in a month or so, and spend one night together, me taking a potion to ensure I don't get pregnant. Next we go back to being student and teacher until December when I'll take my NEWTs and graduate. Then we spend another night together, me taking a potion that will ensure pregnancy. Nine months later, I have a baby… Then what?"

"Then we'll have completed the requirements of the contract," he said.

"Okay, yeah that's not going to work for me," she said, crossing her arms across her chest.

End Chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Harry frowned, he'd thought she'd agree with The Plan. The Plan wouldn't work if she didn't agree.

"You have a better idea?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Melanie nodded.

"No potions and I'll be ready to take my NEWTs and graduate with the 7th years in June," she said, simply.

"That only gives you three and a half months to get ready," he pointed out.

"Yes, I know. I could probably take them right now and do okay. I'll take them in June and I won't need Professor Granger's help." She insisted.

He gave her a skeptical look.

"What, Slytherins can't be smart?" she demanded.

"No, just smart-mouthed," he retorted.

Melanie blinked in surprise. Was he playing with her?

Harry shook his head and gave her a small smile.

"Are you sure you can be ready by June? You don't have to be," he said, watching her carefully.

"Yes I'm sure."

He sat back in his chair and allowed his gaze to travel over this young woman who would soon be his wife.

Melanie was very thin and had almost no curves. She was so petite that she could easily pass for twelve or thirteen years old.

She always wore a long dark sweater over her school uniform that made her appear even smaller than she was. The dark colors she wore only emphasized how sickly pale her skin was. Her large hazel eyes dominated her small, pixie-like face and reminded him vaguely of a house-elf.

He was startled to see that she was looking at him in trepidation.

"Please don't look at me like that," she whispered.

"Like what?" he asked softly.

"Like you're trying to decide if I'm good enough."

"That's not…"

"Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?" she interrupted him.

He frowned, but allowed her to change the subject.

"We need to pick a date. According to the contract we have three months to get married," he said, finally.

She thought about for a minute then said, "The Easter holidays in April would be best. If we wait the full three months that will put the wedding a week before the NEWTs, and while I'm sure that I'd still do okay, I'd prefer not to have the added stress."

Harry nodded in agreement.

"Okay. Then I guess we have the wedding details to deal with next. I was thinking a small ceremony… What?" he asked when she snorted.

"Professor, my mother has been fanaticizing about my wedding since the day I was born, and I can assure you that there will be nothing small about it."

Harry paled.

"You want a big wedding?" he asked with a gulp.

Melanie sighed and looked away.

"No, I don't want a wedding at all, but seeing as I have no choice… I love my mother, and it would break her heart if I didn't let her plan the wedding," she confessed, giving him a pleading look.

Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes. This was becoming more unpleasant by the minute.

"I thought weddings were supposed to be about what the bride wants," he protested, feebly.

"Yeah, well this bride wants her mother to be happy," she retorted.

"Fine. Your mother can plan the wedding, but you do realize how much attention this will stir up," he pointed out.

Melanie groaned.

"I know, and believe me when I say that I'm not looking anymore forward to it than you are. But the sooner we get it over with, the sooner things will die down."

Harry sighed, again.

"Okay, we let your mum handle all of the details, but what happens after the wedding?" he asked.

She blushed.

"What I meant was do you want to go away somewhere for a honeymoon? Or just stay here?" he asked with a chuckle.

Part of her wanted to stay at Hogwarts where things would be familiar and comforting, but then she remembered her schoolmates' treatment of her earlier in the day.

"We should probably go away somewhere, even if it's just for the weekend." She said, sadly.

Harry's face lit up as an idea occurred to him.

"I know where we can go!"

"Where?" she asked warily.

He gave her a mischievous look.

"It's a surprise." He answered, looking very pleased with himself.

Melanie glared at him.

"I don't like surprises." She complained.

"Tough," he retorted with a smirk.

She stood up from her chair.

"If that's all…"

"No, sit back down, we're not done yet," he said, firmly.

Melanie slowly sat back down trying to think of what else they had to discuss.

"Have you given any thought as to what you want to do?"

"About what?" she asked, bewildered.

"Your life?" he said, slowly.

"Oh! I'm not really sure. I mean, I had thought I'd have another year before I'd have to come to any decisions. And now that I am to have a baby, I'm not sure if I'll be inclined to do much of anything." Her voice was firm and even, but her eyes looked sad.

Harry cleared his throat.

"Well, you'll probably change your mind later. Promise me you'll at least think on it some?"

She nodded, looking slightly relieved.

It occurred to Harry that she may have just been answering the way she thought he wanted her to.

"I guess that's it. Unless you have any questions or anything?" he asked.

She shook her head and stood up again.

Melanie was almost at the door when she suddenly turned around and asked, "Will you be faithful to me?"

Her questioned stunned him silent.

"I mean, you've had time to think about it and I know you're not happy that it's me you're marrying. I just want to know now if you're planning on having a mistress or something. I'd rather know up front so that I can get used to the idea."

Harry pondered the situation for a minute. He knew bedding her would be difficult because she was a student and she looked so much younger than she really was. But a mistress? Was he that kind of man?

Uncle Vernon had been a lot of things that Harry hated, but he'd loved Aunt Petunia. Despite his hatred for Harry's mother and her 'people', he'd never failed to show how devoted he was to wife. He thought of his own parents and his stomach turned at the thought of his dad having a mistress.

It didn't really matter as the only woman he really wanted was dead.

"I will be faithful," he said finally.

She nodded and left without another word.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Fred, George, and Ron we're gathered around a table at the Three Broomsticks taking shots of rum, and discussing marriage.

"Poor Harry! Can you imagine having to marry one of your own students?" Fred demanded.

Ron shook his head.

"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen the contract myself."

"I've never been so thankful to be a pureblood before in my life," George added.

"I say Harry's got off easy though. Look at poor Hermione. Bound to the greasy bat for the rest of her life. Warming his bed…" Ron broke off and they all shuddered.

"Charlie's out meeting his betrothed as we speak. I wonder what she'll be like?" Fred asked.

"We'll have a sister again," George commented.

They went quiet as each brother pictured the red-haired young woman who'd been so full of life. Losing their parents and two older brothers had been hard, but losing little Ginny who had barely begun to live was devastating.

"Still, Charlie's after me to submit a contract for someone," Fred mumbled, desperate to change the subject.

"We need to do our part to re-populate the Wizarding World," George said, doing his 'Charlie' impression.

"That sounds like Hermione," Ron laughed.

"Well, it's not going to happen to me! I'm single and I'm gonna stay that way," Fred declared.

"Here, here!" the other two echoed raising their shot glasses in a toast.

"What do we need to be married for anyway? We've got a whole castle full of kids to corrupt, what do we need our own for?" George asked, swaying slightly in his seat.

"Okay Gentlemen, I believe you've had enough," Madam Rosemerta declared and began gathering up the empty bottles and glasses.

"Oh, come on Rosie! It's early," Fred protested giving her his most charming smile.

She scowled at him.

"You're supposed to be teachers now! What kind of example are you setting?" she scolded shaking a finger at them.

"All right!" Ron grumbled throwing some money on the table and staggering to his feet.

"C'mon you two! You know she's right. Besides, Hermione will kill us if it gets back to her that a student saw us pissed," he pointed out.

George made a face.

"We already have to answer to Hermione for everything we do, imagine having another woman to harp at us!"

They all shuddered again and left the pub trying to look as sober as possible.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Hermione and Severus had avoided each other all day long. He had passed the time grading papers and making new lesson plans. Harry and his dilemma had distracted her for a few hours, but after that she'd been bored out of her mind. And with each passing second, her anger and resentment toward her new husband grew even bigger.

She ended up raiding most of the 'romance' section of the library right under a sleeping Madam Pince's nose. She felt slightly guilty about it, but kept telling herself that the old woman probably needed her sleep.

Hermione and Severus had both skipped dinner, and the lack of food only added to her aggravation.

When Professor Snape entered the bedroom that night to get ready for bed, he found that Hermione was already curled up in bed reading.

She looked up at him, and he was taken aback at the hostility in her gaze.

"What?" he asked, warily.

She shook her head and buried her nose back in the book.

Severus squinted to read the title and then snorted.

"What?" she demanded, looking up at him again.

"A romance novel? Really, Hermione I'd have thought you much too sensible to read such rubbish."

Apparently this was the wrong thing to say.

She stood up on the bed and threw the book at him. It bounced off of his head, and landed in the floor with a thump.

"If I had a real husband, I wouldn't have to resort to reading romance novels on my honeymoon!" she yelled.

She watched with satisfaction as his anger began to rise. He started toward her, and she felt a flicker of fear as she wondered what he'd do to retaliate.

Severus reached the bed and quickly wrapped his hands around her ankles, giving them a hard yank.

Hermione yelped as she landed on her back, bouncing a few times. She sat up and reached for him intending to slap him. Instead he caught her hands in his, and fell on top of her, his lips claiming hers in a punishing kiss.

She only struggled for a few seconds before she was kissing him back. She put all her anger and frustration into the kiss and when he released her hands began tugging at his clothes.

He broke the kiss, lifting himself off of her. She reached up to start on his buttons, but he batted her hands away.

Severus grabbed the hem of her nightgown and she lifted her arms to help him remove the garment. She was unable to hold back her gasps and moans as he caressed her bare flesh first with his hands and then his lips.

His mouth made its way back to hers and he allowed her to roll him onto his back so that she'd be on top.

Hermione sighed and began working on the dozens of buttons that lined the front of his robes. She'd just gotten his outer robe off when the sound of bells chiming from above made her pause.

Severus cursed and pushed her off of him.

Hermione squealed and glared up at him from where she landed in the floor.

"What the hell…"

"A student is in danger," he called over his shoulder as he dashed out the door.

It took a minute for her lust addled brain to process his words.

Once her brain could function properly again she jumped to her feet and headed for the door. She paused before opening it, realizing that she couldn't wander the halls in her underwear. She hurriedly pulled her nightgown back on and then grabbed Severus' outer robe, wrapping it around her. It was much too long and dragged the ground behind her, but it would have to do.

She left their rooms and quickly made her way to the entrance to the Slytherin dormitories. Before she could enter, Severus came out levitating an unconscious female student. It took her a minute to recognize the girl as Melanie Walsh, Harry's fiancée.

The poor girl had been thoroughly hexed and Hermione was worried because she didn't seem to be breathing very well.

"Two points from Slytherin, and I don't ever want to be disturbed by such juvenile antics again, is that clear?" he demanded to the group of students gathered just inside the door.

"Yes, Professor," they answered in unison.

"Two points? That's it? A student has been attacked and you take away two ruddy points?" she demanded furiously.

Severus shrugged.

"I don't know which students are responsible, why should I have to punish them all? Are you wearing my robe?"

"Don't change the subject! You've got to do something about this!"

They stood there glaring at each other, when Melanie suddenly let out a strangled gasp and stopped breathing completely.

The argument was instantly forgotten and they rushed Melanie to the infirmary as fast as they could.

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Poppy stared contemplatively at the petite young woman in front of her. She was impressed by the broad knowledge of the Healing Arts that Rachel Collins possessed. Every question the old nurse fired at her was answered in a cool, confident voice.

"Of course, I'll have to see you in action before I make a final decision, but I think you might be what we're looking for Miss Collins," she said finally.

Rachel breathed a sigh of relief and gave Poppy a genuine smile.

"I would like to know why you'd choose to work at a school instead of a hospital or clinic though dear," Poppy told her.

Rachel's smile faltered slightly.

"Well, as you know, I was a healing apprentice at St. Mungo's for four years, and had always expected to get a job there. Unfortunately the hospital is no longer hiring young women who are eligible to participate in the law. I guess you can't really blame them. They need qualified healers who can commit to long-term projects and they don't want to worry about replacing witches on maternity-leave," she explained.

"Have you given any thought as to what you're going to do when it comes time to have your baby?"

Rachel blushed.

"No, I really only just found out that I was marrying Charlie a few days ago. We haven't had time to discuss a lot of specifics. Just that I'm a newly qualified Healer and that I need a job."

"Have you had experience with pre- and post-natal care? I'm asking because besides yourself, we have two other witches who have been contracted and will be delivering in the next couple of years," Poppy explained.

The young healer shook her head.

"No, not really. I mean, I did the required six-week rotation in the maternity ward, but with the low-birth rates and all of the interns, I really didn't get to do very much. I got to observe two deliveries, but that was it," she admitted.

Poppy sighed.

"Well, it's student care that's most important. But I do suggest you do some studying up on the subject, and have a mid-wife on-call for when the time comes."

"Yes, I do have some connections at St. Mungo's. I'm sure we can get someone over here when needed," Rachel said, thoughtfully.

"I'm sure everything will work out fine, but I want you to promise to contact me if there is any trouble, understood?"

"Yes ma'am."

The door to the infirmary suddenly flew open, and Professor Snape appeared levitating an unconscious student.

"Severus! What happened?" Poppy cried, motioning him to put the girl on one of the empty beds.

"She was hit with several different hexes at once. I removed them, but now she's stopped breathing," he explained stepping out of the nurse's way.

"You should never remove more then one hex at a time…" Rachel trailed off when he glared at her.

Her face paled when she suddenly realized whom she was talking to.

"I'm s-sorry Professor Snape, I didn't…"

"Are you already offending the new nurse Severus?" Hermione gasped out as she appeared in the doorway.

She was holding her side and panting.

"How could you possibly be in better shape than me?" she asked, and then walked around him to meet Rachel.

"Hermione Granger," she said, holding out a hand.

Rachel shook it, gratefully.

"That's Hermione Snape now," Severus interjected, but Hermione pretended like she hadn't heard him.

"Rachel Collins," the young healer said, shyly.

Hermione smiled.

"So you're the lucky woman, who landed Charlie Weasley," she said and shot a quick glare at Snape.

"Miss Collins, if I could have your assistance please?" Poppy asked, and Rachel hurried over to her.

"You would have preferred Charlie Weasley over me, is that it?" Snape demanded his voice low and dangerous.

Hermione rolled her eyes and spun away from him walking over to Poppy and Rachel.

"Is she going to be okay?" she asked.

Poppy and Rachel exchanged a look.

"Can you finish up dear?" Poppy asked, and Rachel nodded.

Poppy motioned for Hermione and Severus to join her out of earshot of the patient.

"I'm afraid that someone hit Miss Walsh with a specific curse that destroys the ovaries. Luckily you removed it before too much damage was done, but I can almost guarantee that she'll have a hard time getting pregnant, even with that new potion of yours."

Hermione gasped and turned to Snape. "I've got to tell Harry," she said and ran for the door.

Poppy looked at Snape expectantly.

"I knew that most of the Slytherins were not happy about Miss Walsh marrying Potter, but I had no idea they'd take such extreme measures to stop it," he admitted bitterly.

"Madam Pomfrey, can you come look at this?" Rachel called anxiously.

Poppy rushed back to her patient, and Severus heard her gasp. Before he could ask what was wrong Potter came storming into the infirmary looking angrier than when Voldemort had cut off his hand.

"Who did it?" he demanded running up to Snape grabbing his shoulders and giving him a good shake.

The long, lank, black hair that effectively covered the scarred side of Snape's face fell back and Harry saw it for the first time.

He immediately stepped back from the older man releasing him.

Snape scowled at the look of pity in Harry's eyes, and hurriedly smoothed his hair back down over the scars.

"Professor … Hermione said… but I never realized…"

"Save your pity for someone who wants it, Potter," Snape spat and stalked away from him.

"Harry! Dear Merlin, I have got to get back in shape!" Hermione cried, trudging through the door and collapsing on an empty bed.

She was gasping and sweaty.

Severus summoned a glass of water and gave it to her.

"Thanks," she said, and began taking small sips.

"Professors, please come look at this," Poppy called a few minutes later.

Snape hauled Hermione to her feet and dragged her toward Poppy. Harry followed looking uncertain.

Melanie was awake, blinking dazedly at her surroundings. She'd been turned over onto her stomach, and her back was bared.

Hermione let out a horrified gasp at the huge dark bruise that covered most of the expanse of her small back.

"How?"

"A few days ago she got shoved into the wall by another student," Harry said, then knelt down so that he was eye-level with Melanie.

"Why didn't you tell me it was this bad?" he asked, feeling sick with guilt.

She shrugged, winced, and looked at the floor

"I have a high tolerance for pain. Besides, it wasn't this bad until they kicked me," she whimpered, but was able to keep the tears at bay.

Harry expression was a mixture of guilt, fear, and anger.

"Who, Melanie? Who did this to you?" he asked as gently as he could.

She was unable to stop the tears as she said, "I c-can't tell. They'll kill me."

Harry turned pleading eyes to the healers. He had no idea what to do.

"Her lungs were bruised. That's why she quit breathing," Rachel explained.

"She can't stay in the Slytherin dorms anymore," Harry said to Snape.

Severus opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it and simply nodded.

"Well, she'll need to sleep here tonight and maybe even tomorrow night. We'll see how she's doing then," Rachel said, and began lightly rubbing a salve onto Melanie's back.

"It's time you all went to bed," Poppy said. "There's nothing else you can do for her tonight, and Melanie needs her rest." She commanded sternly over the protests.

They reluctantly left, promising to return to check on her first thing in the morning.

"I want to talk to them, all of them. Now." Harry said to Snape once they were in the hall.

"No."

"Severus…" Hermione began.

"They're my students, and I will punish them as I see fit. I do not need your help to control my own house," he growled and stormed away.

"I'll talk to him, Harry. We'll get to the bottom of this, I promise." She said, giving his hand a squeeze.

"Goodnight, Hermione." He said then turned around and headed for his rooms.

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"Are you going to punish them for this?" Hermione asked hesitantly when she entered the bedroom.

"I already have," he said, dismissively.

"Two points? Melanie Walsh may have died and you're only taking two points?" she cried.

"This conversation is over." He sighed irritably before pulling her up against him.

He leaned down to kiss her but she turned her head and stepped away from him.

"No, Severus. I'm not in the mood," she said, gloomily.

His mouth dropped open and he watched her shrug out of his robe and climb into bed.

"You were the one screaming and throwing things because we weren't having sex," he reminded her, testily.

"I'm tired, I don't want to fight anymore," she mumbled and sank into her pillow, her back turned away from him.

Snape cursed and went into the bathroom. When he came back out, she was softly snoring. He pulled on his nightshirt, spelled off the lights, and climbed into bed.

Potter had seen his face, one of his students had been hurt, and his wife hated him. Severus was starting to feel a bit gloomy himself.

He was startled to suddenly feel Hermione's arm snake over his stomach and her head snuggle into his chest.

"Hermione?" he asked softly.

No answer. She was still asleep.

Sighing, he allowed himself to take comfort in her presence beside him. In spite of everything, he had to admit that it felt nice not to sleep alone.

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Charlie walked Rachel to the edge of Hogwarts so that she could apparate home.

"So the interview went well?" he asked.

"Yes. Although, we were interrupted by a student that had been attacked."

Charlie nodded.

"Harry told me about it. Are you okay?" he asked, hoping to find out why she looked a little shaken.

Rachel sighed unhappily.

"I don't know. It never ceases to amaze me how cruel students can be to one another. You'd think that I'd already have learnt that lesson," she commented thoughtfully.

He stopped and pulled her into a hug. She relaxed into his embrace, and sighed when he kissed her forehead.

"Go home, and get some rest. I'll be by at nine o'clock to help you pack, alright?" he asked, still holding onto her.

"Okay," she whispered.

They stood there holding each other for a few more minutes before Rachel reluctantly pulled away.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said, then raised her head and kissed his cheek.

She turned to apparate, but Charlie grabbed her wrist and pulled her back against him.

"Can I kiss you, Rachel?" he asked softly as he ran a hand through her hair.

"Yes, please," she whispered, tilting her face up.

He gently caressed her lips with his. Her lips parted with a sigh and his tongue slipped into her mouth to dance with hers.

Later, as he lay awake in his bed, he could still taste her on his lips.

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Harry tossed and turned for hours before finally getting out of bed and heading back to the infirmary. All was quiet and dark as he moved a chair next to Melanie's bed.

He watched her sleep for awhile, and then his eyes began drooping. He made himself as comfortable as possible in the chair and then drifted off to sleep.

It was the first night in six years that Harry did not dream of Ginny.

End Chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Severus was gone when Hermione awoke the next morning. She'd slept surprisingly well considering how upset she'd been the night before. Poor Melanie! She had to do something, even if it meant going behind Severus's back.

She quickly showered and dressed, a smug smile tugging at her lips as she developed a plan.

When Hermione left the bedroom she saw her husband at the same table that had appeared the morning before. He was again reading the paper while sipping coffee.

Being as quiet as possible, she slipped passed him and headed for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked before her hand touched the knob.

She sighed and turned to look at him. "I'm having breakfast in the Great Hall this morning so I won't bother you," she said, only partly telling the truth. Hermione wanted to talk to Harry about her plan to get back at the Slytherins who'd hurt Melanie.

"No."

Hermione blinked.

"No, what?" she asked.

"No, you will not be eating breakfast in the Great Hall," he said, slowly.

She frowned. "Why not?"

Severus gave her an exasperated look.

"We're supposed to be on our honeymoon! If you show up for breakfast without me, they'll think that something is wrong," he pointed out as if she were an idiot for not thinking of it herself.

"Well, they'd be right, wouldn't they," she said and turned to leave again.

He stood up and stomped his foot.

"Wasn't last night bad enough? Don't tell me you enjoy being the center of attention," he demanded.

"Of course, not! But that was last night. Things will have died down by today. Especially when word gets out about Miss Walsh," Hermione countered.

"If you go to breakfast without me, then there'll be new talk starting, and I don't think either of us needs that now," he practically growled.

Hermione smiled at him.

"You are embarrassed!" she cried, laughing.

"What? No I'm not," he huffed.

"Yes, you are! You're afraid that the students and teachers will tease you if they know we don't get along."

"That's absurd! Teasing hasn't bothered me since I was a student. And trust me, after seven years of Potter and Black, I've become quite immune to the taunts," he sat back down and picked up his newspaper again.

Hermione felt a slight tug on her heart at his words. She knew that his peers had tormented Severus when he was a student, and as mean as he was she didn't want to do anything to cause him unnecessary pain.

"Okay, I'll make a deal with you," she said, finally.

He glanced at her warily above his paper.

"I'll stay and eat with you here, if you put down the newspaper and talk to me."

"No. I require silence while eating breakfast," he insisted.

"Well, I require conversation while eating breakfast," she retorted.

He glared at her.

"We tried it your way yesterday, it's only fair that we do it my way today," Hermione pointed out, smugly.

"My way yesterday? I'm sorry, do you remember what happened yesterday?" he demanded.

This time she glared at him.

"Fine, I'll just go find someone else to have breakfast with," she said, spinning on her heel.

She actually managed to take a step outside before he caught her arm and dragged her back in.

"Fine, we'll do it your way," he hissed, releasing her and stomping back to the table.

Hermione was all smiles as she sat down to eat.

Severus opened his mouth to attempt conversation, but couldn't think of anything to say. A minute later Hermione did the same thing.

They stared at each other in silence for almost ten minutes before Hermione said, "Nice weather we've been having."

Severus just groaned.

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Melanie awoke with a groan. She felt like she'd been trampled by a hippogriff. The events of the night before came back to her full force and she sat up with a frightened gasp.

Her eyes darted around the infirmary and she jumped when she saw Professor Potter asleep in a chair beside her bed.

His normally messy black hair was almost pointing straight up, and his mouth was opened, a puddle of drool gathering on his chin.

What was he doing there? He hadn't been there when she'd fallen asleep.

Curiously, having him beside her eased some of the fear. She didn't have to worry about being attacked again as long as he was there. Although, at the moment he didn't seem all that intimidating.

There was an uncomfortable fullness in her abdomen that prompted her to slip out of bed and go to the bathroom.

Melanie walked back out into the infirmary a few minutes later, shaking and weak. There was so much blood, and it wasn't even her time of the month.

Poppy was there waiting for her and quickly helped Melanie back in bed. The old nurse gave her a few potions, and informed her that breakfast should be arriving shortly.

Harry slept through it all.

Poppy pulled up another chair and sat down to explain to Melanie the extent of her injuries. Melanie paled even further at some of the more gruesome details.

"Madam Pomfrey? If Professor Snape hadn't got to me when he did, would I have died?"

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Charlie arrived at Rachel's flat at nine o'clock sharp. She gave him a bright smile as she invited him and ushered him into her small kitchen.

A man was seated at the table sipping tea.

"Charlie, this is my brother Tim," she introduced, shyly.

Timothy stood and shook his hand.

"I remember you from school," Charlie commented with a nod of recognition.

Rachel frowned remembering the previous evening and Charlie cringed inwardly.

"Have some tea, Charlie," Tim said, pouring a cup for him.

"I'm going to finish packing," Rachel excused herself.

Charlie sat down across from him, wondering why Tim was there.

"So, how's the re-populating going?" he asked, figuring he might as well try to be on good terms with his future brother-in-law.

Timothy gave him a weary look before sighing. "It's frustrating!" He stated simply. "I mean, the law was set with a specific set of rules that are constantly being broken by the rich purebloods that are after the 'best' candidates. The Malfoys, Crabbes, Parkinsons, Walshs, and several others with more money than Merlin have bribed their way around the system!"

Charlie's eyes widened. "Wait, did you say Walsh?" he demanded.

"What? Oh yes! Patrick Alan Walsh paid my boss Mr. Droms one hundred thousand galleons to save Harry Potter for his daughter. Can you believe it?"

Charlie just shook his head, speechless.

"Of course, we are talking about Harry Potter. He must have received at least five hundred petitions. Mr. Droms 'lost' them all but Walsh's."

Timothy shook his head.

"The whole system is being abused! At least You-Know-Who is gone for good. I don't even want to think about how he'd manipulate this situation," he said with a shudder.

"But why did Walsh want Harry? Was he a supporter of Voldemort?" Charlie asked when he finally found his voice.

Timothy flinched at the name.

"Oh, heavens no! He's just one of those rich purebloods that wants the absolute best for his daughter. Who better than Harry Potter? Think of what powerful children he will produce," Tim said with a gleam in his eye.

For the first time Charlie realized why Timothy had his job.

"So what about Malfoy? He has heard that Hermione didn't choose him, right?" Charlie asked.

"I'm sure he has by now. I haven't heard anything though. Lucius Malfoy went straight to my boss about Professor Granger. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time when the contracts were being issued. Mr. Droms was upset that I allowed Professor Snape's contract through for her, but there was nothing he could do, and legally, I hadn't done anything wrong," he explained.

"I'm afraid we haven't heard the last from Malfoy," Charlie said, taking a sip of tea.

"I heard a rumor," Timothy began, then hesitated.

"About Malfoy?" Charlie prompted.

"Yes. I overheard some of the ladies on my team gossiping about Draco Malfoy. They seemed to be under the impression that he was quite upset at the prospect of marrying Professor Granger. They seem to think that he has a witch stashed away at his home…" Timothy stopped and shook his head.

"It was just idle chatter, I doubt there's much truth to it."

Charlie nodded, but felt slightly bothered. Almost like there was something else he should be asking, but couldn't think of what it was.

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Harry awoke to an awful pain in his neck. He hesitantly stretched, wincing at the popping joints and straining muscles that were his reward for sleeping in a chair all night.

He looked over at Melanie and was surprised to that she was sitting up in bed. Upon closer inspection, Harry realized that she was shaking.

"Miss Walsh? Are you okay?" he asked, his voice rough with sleep.

She jumped, and turned frightened eyes to him.

Her arms were wrapped tightly around herself and she was rocking back and forth slightly.

"Melanie?" he asked, slowly moving closer.

She shook her head and slowly started crying. "Th-they were tr-trying to k-kill me," she stuttered, then dissolved into sobs.

Give him Boggarts! Give him Dragons, Hippogriffs, Vampires, or Werewolves. Anything, but a crying woman.

Harry started wringing his hands and shifting from foot to foot, not sure what to do. If she'd been Hermione, he'd have hugged her. But Melanie was nothing like Hermione and Harry was afraid of upsetting her even more.

"What can I do? Tell me what to do and I'll do it," he pleaded with her, desperately.

She quieted a little and seemed to consider his offer.

"I want my mother," she said finally and began sobbing again. It was at this point that Hermione and Severus arrived to check on the patient.

"Harry, what did you do?" Hermione demanded, hurrying over to Melanie, and pulling the crying girl close.

Melanie struggled briefly, then gave in and clung to Hermione, soaking the front of her robes.

Harry and Severus shared a bewildered look. Hermione glared at the two men over Melanie's head.

"Severus, you're the head of Slytherin, go owl her parent's immediately!" she snapped, then turned to Harry.

"And you look awful and smell even worse! You could very well be meeting your future in-laws soon, go make your self presentable!"

Harry looked down at his dirty rumpled robes and grimaced. She was right, as usual.

Melanie calmed quickly once the men were gone. She studied the Transfiguration Professor through tear-stained eyes. For the first time she began to appreciate that Professor Granger was a woman and not just a teacher.

Hermione gently brushed a lock of Melanie's hair behind her ear. "How are you feeling?" she asked, kindly.

The young girl sighed and pulled away from Hermione's embrace.

"My stomach is sore, but Poppy said that it would be for a few days," she said finally.

"How is your back?"

Melanie shrugged. "A little sore, but better than last night. Professor?"

Hermione gave her a warm smile.

"You're going to marry my best friend, please call me Hermione when we're not in class."

Melanie returned her smile.

"Hermione, what am I supposed to do? I can't go back to the Slytherin dorms, they'll try to hurt me again," she said with a shiver.

Hermione squeezed her hand, reassuringly.

"Professor Dumbledore is having a room prepared for you that is connected to Harry's. He'll keep you safe."

Melanie looked at her thoughtfully.

"Does Professor Potter know that?" she asked with a sinking feeling.

"Melanie you're engaged to the man, you can call him Harry," she chastised gently.

Melanie shook her head.

"I won't until he tells me to and you didn't answer my question."

This time Hermione sighed.

"No, Harry doesn't know yet, but I don't think he'll be mad."

"But he doesn't like me! He hates that he has to marry me!" She yelled and started crying again.

"If he doesn't like you, then why did he spend all night in an uncomfortable chair just so he could watch over you?"

The tears stopped and Melanie gave her a puzzled look.

"This new law is hard on everyone, but it is necessary. Harry will come around, you'll see," Hermione said, conjuring a wet cloth for Melanie to clean her face with.

"I just don't see how he could every want me," Melanie whispered.

Hermione regarded the younger girl for a moment.

"The only thing that Harry has wanted his entire life is a true family. You giving him this will make you very precious to him."

They remained quiet for a few moments, while Melanie cleaned herself up.

"I'm not usually so weepy," she admitted, sheepishly.

"That's alright. You're entitled."

Melanie smiled.

"Well, I'm going to let you get some rest," Hermione said, getting to her feet.

"Hermione? Do you think the house elves could bring me my things? I have some homework I need to work on."

Hermione suddenly got a mischievous glimmer in her eyes.

"Oh, sure the house elves could do that. However, I think it would be more fun if Harry and I did it ourselves, don't you?"

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"Well, that's the last of it," Hermione said, satisfied with her handy work.

She and Harry had personally collected Melanie's belongings from the Slytherin dorms.

It had been easy for Harry to bait Melanie's tormentors and challenge them to duels. Hermione and Harry had left a trail of thoroughly hexed students in their wake.

After their 'punishments' had been thoroughly delivered, the two Professors gathered Melanie's belongings, and levitated them to Harry's rooms.

When Professor Dumbledore had informed Harry at lunch that Melanie was to stay in his rooms, he had not objected. Hermione was proud of her friend, knowing that his privacy was important to him. She really believed that he and Melanie would be fine. And perhaps Hermione might find a friend and confidant in Melanie.

Melanie looked around her new room and nodded in approval. It would be very nice to have a room to her self. She especially loved the window seat that over looked the lake.

"Your parents' owl said that they'd be arriving tomorrow after dinner," Hermione said, placing a hand on the girl's back.

Melanie shrugged.

"I'll leave you to get settled then," Hermione said, and left her alone.

Melanie sat on the window seat and watched the sunset. She felt very melancholy, and more than a little anxious.

This morning she'd wanted nothing more than to be wrapped in her mother's safe embrace, but now it all seemed foolish. She was supposed to be an adult, not some weepy child.

A soft knock on the door jarred her from her thoughts.

"Come in," she called.

Harry hesitated for a minute, and then walked into the room stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"So, is the room alright then?" he asked.

"It's nice," she said, looking at the floor.

Harry walked over to stand in front her, and knelt down so that they were eye level.

"You're safe here," he said, grabbing one of her hands.

She felt her eyes burn at his words and quickly looked away from him.

Harry sighed and wondered what else he should say. It had been very satisfying to get back at the students that had hurt her, even if it hadn't been very professional. He had come to her to make sure she had everything that she needed. But as he walked in the room, it suddenly occurred to him that she was his. In his mind he'd thought of her as his responsibility, but she was so much more than that.

She would be his wife and the mother of his children. Something he had forgotten he'd wanted since Ginny died.

A single tear rolled down her cheek, and Harry pulled her into his arms unthinkingly.

She stiffened, and then forced herself to relax and just let him hold her.

Harry pulled away from her after a minute, and wiped the tear from her face.

"I swear I will protect you from everyone," he vowed and placed a kiss on her forehead.

He left without another word.

"But who will protect me from you?" Melanie asked the empty room once the door had shut.

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Hermione entered her chambers with a tired sigh. It had been a very long day, but much had been accomplished.

Severus was waiting for her in the sitting room, an unpleasant smile on his face.

"Could you please enlighten me as to why almost half of my Slytherins are in the hospital wing being de-hexed?" His voice was calm and yet so cold it made Hermione stifle shiver.

She shrugged.

"Harry and I collected Miss Walsh's things from the dorm," she answered, and walked past him into the bedroom.

Severus snarled as he followed her.

"And Potter hexed a roomful of unarmed children, is that right?" he demanded angrily.

"Oh don't be silly. He dueled with each one individually and they were all well armed. Besides, none of them were hurt unlike Melanie," she said, turning to the mirror and removing her earrings.

He grabbed her arm and turned her to face him.

"This was in retaliation for what happened to Miss Walsh. He punished my students after I already had!"

"Oh that's right! Two whole house points were removed, I'm sure that taught them a lesson," she bit out, sarcastically.

"The only students involved were mine, therefore I get to punish them as I see fit. He doesn't get a say," he retorted.

"Melanie is his fiancée'! He had every right to retaliate," she cried, pulling away from his bruising grip.

"He should have come to me!" Severus insisted angrily.

"What if it had been me? What if a bunch of Gryffindor students had attacked me? What would you have done?" she demanded, furiously.

She saw the flash of pain in his eyes, and felt a warmth feel her. The air seemed to crackle around them as the looked at each other.

They were suddenly kissing, neither knowing who'd moved first, neither one caring. Their clothes feel to the floor, piece by piece until they were naked and falling onto the bed.

His kisses and caresses told her how important she was to him. His fingers running through her hair told her that he would never allow anyone to hurt her. And his mouth against her breasts told her that she held his heart in her hands.

Her eyes watered at the words his tongue would never speak. And she gave herself over to the pleasure he was evoking, pushing their quarrel far from her mind.

Happily for both of them, Severus was able to last much longer and had Hermione screaming his name in no time at all.

After they were finished, he rolled off of her to the side.

"Bitch," he said teasingly.

Hermione snuggled against him, throwing an arm over his stomach.

"Bastard."

He snorted and kissed her forehead.

They feel asleep content for the first time in years.

End Chapter 7


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: First off, thanks so much for all of the kind reviews. I am very pleased with the response that this story has received. I am sorry for not responding to them, but I figure you guys would probably rather I work on the next chapter than spend time answering reviews. But do know that I cherish each one. Now for some not-so-good news: my beta is in the process of moving, so it could very well be two weeks before I can post the next chapter. I promise that this won't happen often, and I'll make it up to you with a double update in two-weeks. Thanks for your patience! -Kassandra

Chapter 8

Melanie quickly returned to her room as soon as classes were over. All in all it had not been as bad of a day as she had expected. She'd still received several sneers and glares from her Slytherin peers, but none had actually attempted to harm her. Plus, Genelle had stuck to her like glue, becoming her self-proclaimed bodyguard. Her well-meaning friend had been furious when she found out what had happened. After Charms, she had hexed a couple of students 'because they looked like they wanted to hurt Melanie'.

She was alone now, quickly stashing her books at her desk and heading for the bathroom. She had two hours before her parents would arrive and she needed to manage her time very carefully. She also had to make sure she had time to 'fix' Harry if he wasn't presentable.

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"Thanks guys. I really needed that," Harry said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Anytime, mate," George said, cheerfully.

Harry, Fred, George, Ron, and Charlie had rounded up a few seventh year Gryffindors and hit the Quidditch pitch as soon as the last class was finished on Monday. George had suggested the idea at lunch in an effort to get Harry to relax. The green-eyed savior of the Wizarding World had worked himself into quite a nervous state at the prospect of meeting his future in-laws. Fred had suggested going out for drinks, but had quickly retracted the idea after receiving a look from Hermione.

The five teachers slowly made their way back to the castle while the students ran ahead.

Charlie shook his head as a game of tag broke out among them.

"So Harry, are you ready to 'meet the parents'?" he questioned.

Harry shuddered.

"Not really. I mean, maybe if Melanie hadn't been attacked…"

"Oh, so it's 'Melanie' now is it," Fred teased.

Harry blushed and Ron smacked Fred in the arm.

"They're going to be married soon, he can call her anything he wants," Ron defended.

Fred just shrugged and gave Harry a leering grin.

Ron began talking about his ideas for Quidditch teams, but Harry wasn't listening.

When had Miss Walsh become Melanie to him?

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The late afternoon sun streaming through the window gave the infirmary an amber tint, softening its normal white harshness. Hermione was unable to appreciate the lighting display as her thoughts had come to an abrupt halt. She sat on a hospital bed, staring at the blank wall without seeing it.

Rachel blinked and gave Hermione a concerned look.

"Did you hear me? I said, you're pregnant," the young healer repeated slowly.

She received no response from her patient.

"The potion worked," she continued, uneasy at the silence.

Hermione just kept on staring without blinking.

Rachel ran a hand in front of her patient's eyes to no avail.

"Hermione?"

Nothing.

Smack

"Ow!" Hermione shrieked leaning away.

"Oh good, you're back!" the blond said cheerily.

Hermione rubbed a hand over her stinging cheek and glared at the healer.

"I never left, I'm just in shock," she protested.

"Oh!" Rachel exclaimed and quickly conjured a warm blanket that she immediately wrapped tightly around Hermione's shoulders.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked, warily.

"Shock victims should be kept warm," she recited pleasantly.

Hermione shook her head.

"I'm not actually in shock, it's just an expression!" she shouted angrily.

Rachel's lip quivered and she began whimpering.

"Oh, I'm sorry Rachel. Please don't cry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I guess Severus is just rubbing off on me," Hermione squeezed her hand reassuringly.

Rachel took a deep breath and brushed the tears from her eyes.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm not usually so incompetent; it's just that Poppy left yesterday afternoon to go visit and old friend for the week. I've never had to work all by myself before. I would have been fine, but apparently there was some big fight in the Slytherin dorm last night and I must have had eight badly hexed students at once. And Snape was yelling at me while I tried my best to get everything sorted out. He said he'd tell Poppy what an imbecile I was and that she'd never hire me," she ended with a sniff.

Hermione felt awful!

"Rachel, don't worry about a thing! I'll talk to him; I promise he'll not say a word to Poppy, okay?"

Rachel looked skeptical but nodded.

"Maybe he'll be in a better mood when he finds out about the baby," she said with a smile.

Hermione blanched.

"Don't zone out on me again," Rachel commanded raising a hand as if to slap her again.

Hermione caught her by the wrist and shook her head.

"I'm okay; I'm just trying to wrap my head around this."

Rachel frowned.

"But, you've been trying to get pregnant. I don't understand why this is such a shock for you."

Hermione sighed.

"I thought I'd have more time," she admitted.

"Then you shouldn't have taken the potion," Rachel commented

"I didn't know that I'd want more time then."

Rachel looked extremely confused.

"What?"

"I'm afraid that if Severus knows that I'm pregnant he won't make love to me anymore," she whispered.

"And that would be a bad thing," Rachel asked sarcastically, before putting a hand over her mouth.

Hermione laughed.

"I know I'm probably the only woman in the world who'd think that, but I do. He is my husband after all."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet. Just promise me you won't tell anyone else that I'm pregnant, okay?"

"I promise."

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Katie Bell nervously made her way toward Hogwarts castle. Her belly was clenched in knots and very sore from being unable to keep any food down for the last few days. Her mother had always said she had a nervous stomach.

As she the entrance loomed closer she wondered not for the first time how she had some to be in her current state.

Until a week and a half ago Katie had been… well, not exactly happy, but definitely content.

As a reserve chaser on a minor-league Quidditch team, she still got to play very often. A night job at a pub paid for the small London flat she'd called home since graduating. Katie also had a nice circle of friends at the pub, and even a potential boyfriend, who she was sure, would ask her out any day now.

She sighed remembering the moment when her world had started to fall apart.

Katie trudged up the steps to her flat late that Wednesday night, exhausted. The Chudley Cannons had actually won that day, and fans had come out of the woodwork to celebrate at her pub. Still, she had made several tips, enough to finally purchase those new robes at Gladrags she'd had her eye on for almost a month.

All thoughts of Quidditch and clothes flew from her mind when she saw him waiting for her at her door.

Marcus Flint's smile was just as crooked and evil as it had been when they were in school together.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Katie Bell," he snickered at the rhyme, and she shivered as his eyes ran down her body.

"W-what do you want, Flint?" she tried to sound intimidating, but the stutter gave her away.

He grinned.

"I can't visit an old friend?" he asked in a mocking voice.

"We aren't friends," she said, and hurriedly stepped passed him trying to shove her key in the lock.

"We could be," he whispered, his lips brushing her ear.

She jerked away and stared at him in shock.

"What?"

He shrugged.

"Come have dinner with me."

"It's two AM," she said.

He smiled again.

"Fine, breakfast then."

"No."

Katie finally got the key in and unlocked the door, but it wouldn't open.

She looked up to see him holding it closed with his hand.

"Tonight then," he insisted, his smile strained.

"No, Flint. I don't want anything to do with you. Go away and leave me alone," she said firmly and shoved him away from the door.

Katie quickly opened the door but before she could pass the threshold, his fist crashed into her face.

She cried out as the force of his punch threw her across the hall. The back of her head connected with the wall and she lost consciousness.

When she awoke she was lying on her neighbor's sofa. Mrs. Peterson said that Flint had run off when she opened the door to see what the banging was about. Katie was thankful that he hadn't tried to harm her muggle neighbor.

Mrs. Peterson let her leave after promising to see a doctor the next day. Katie did no such thing and only cast a spell to see if she had a concussion. She didn't so she simply iced the bruises, and went to bed.

Katie spent the rest of the week in bed, scared to leave her apartment.

Marcus Flint had not given up. She was constantly bombarded with owls bearing apology notes and flowers.

It all stopped on Friday, and she even ventured out to work on Saturday. She'd even gotten Max, the pub's bouncer to walk her home.

But there was no sign of Flint.

Then on Tuesday morning, she received the ministry's owl. Marcus Flint had submitted a marriage contract on her.

Katie had owled everyone she could think of, desperate to get out of the contract, but the law was iron-clad and the ministry was less than sympathetic to her claims. Her own parents practically told her to grin and bear it.

Professor Dumbledore was her last hope.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Melanie studied her reflection in the mirror critically.

Designer robes, clean fingernails, hair in a French twist, minimal make-up. Her mother's checklist should be satisfied.

She heard the door to the sitting room she shared with Professor Potter open and hurried out to greet him.

Upon seeing him, she let out a strangled sound of distress, her mouth falling open in disbelief.

"What is it?" Harry demanded, looking around for the source of her distress.

"You! My parents will be here in twenty minutes, they can't see you looking like that!" she cried, pushing him toward his bedroom.

Harry chuckled, but stopped at the evil look she gave him.

"It's okay. It doesn't take me long at all to get ready," he tried to reassure her.

"Just get in the shower!" she yelled giving him a final shove.

Harry went into his bathroom and pulled off his sweat-soaked robes. The hot water was refreshing, and five minutes later he was exiting the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

He stopped at the door staring in shock at his bedroom.

Sets of robes had been thrown haphazardly to the floor from his closet. Clothes of all sorts were scattered everywhere as Melanie frantically searched for something he could wear. Her outer-robe had been tossed onto his bed, and she was kneeling in his closet rummaging through his shoes.

"What are you doing?" he bellowed.

She scowled at him and then blushed at seeing his bare chest.

"Don't you own any decent clothes? I mean, you supposedly have money, don't you ever spend it?" she demanded.

"Oh, like you have room to talk…" Harry began, but choked on his words as she stood up and turned to face him, hands on her hips.

And she did have hips. He'd only seen her in her uniform, and the over-sized sweater always hid even that. The burgundy set of robes that she was currently wearing hugged her small frame revealing that though she was very petite, she did have definite curves. Her long dark hair was piled on top of her head, showing off a long, elegant neck.

Melanie arched an eyebrow at him, feeling a small thrill at the way he was looking at her.

Harry blushed and shook his head. "You look nice," he mumbled.

She was startled at the unexpected compliment.

"Thank you."

The silence grew awkward.

"Well, Professor, my parents will be here soon, so..."

"Harry."

"Hmm?" she asked distractedly.

"We're going to be married soon, you might as well go ahead and call me Harry," he explained, blushing again.

"Okay. Harry, I'll just leave so you can get changed," she said, placing a pair of his shoes on the bed next to the outfit she'd picked out for him.

He nodded at her and she grabbed her outer robe and left the room.

Harry shook his head and studied the clothes she'd picked out. His most uncomfortable set of green dress robes, and a pair of black trousers that he hadn't been able to fit into properly for two years.

Sighing he moved to get dressed, and then let out an embarrassed groan.

She'd even picked out his underwear.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

George Weasley finished packing then headed to Fred's room to say goodbye.

This week was George's turn to run the shop. He should have been there today, but they'd decided to close Mondays until summer. They did most of their business on the weekends anyway.

Since they'd started receiving a steady paycheck from Hogwarts the joke shop had become more of a hobby than a means for survival. Perhaps they should think about hiring someone to run the shop during the week?

He approached Fred's door and knocked. A moment later there was a small explosion followed by a string of expletives.

The door swung open and Ron and Fred came rushing out closely followed by a cloud of billowing green smoke.

"You said it was harmless!" Ron cried, his skin quickly turning a shade bright green.

Fred was doubled over coughing, his own skin changing color.

"I said it probably wasn't harmless," he retorted when he could catch his breath, "I couldn't possibly know for sure until I tested it could I?"

George just laughed as his two brothers glared at each other.

Fred turned to him, placing a bright green hand on George's arm.

"George, tell him about our theory…" he began, then gasped.

George looked down to see a bright green hand print on his arm. He glared at his twin.

"Oh great! Now we can't touch anything," Ron sulked.

"We'll just go to the infirmary, Poppy will set it right," Fred reassured.

"No, you can't. Remember what Charlie said?" George said in a singsong voice.

"Shit!"

George laughed again as he remembered Charlie's words after the Quidditch game.

Poppy was out of town, so Rachel was taking over the hospital wing and they were not to do anything that might disturb her or add stress. Apparently she'd had a rough night.

"Why don't you try Hermione?" George suggested.

Both of their faces lit up.

"Be sure to owl me with the remedy, I'm going to get going."

They left in search of Hermione, and George headed for the entrance hall.

He was humming softly under his breath as he pulled the heavy door open.

George headed outside and immediately collided with somebody. They rolled down the front steps and crashed onto the ground with George on top.

He pushed aside several locks of dirty blonde hair to reveal a familiar face.

"Katie? What are you doing here?"

Katie opened her mouth but all that came out was a groan.

George quickly got off of her and reached down a hand to help her up.

She placed her hand in his and he pulled her to her feet only to have her fall against him.

He frowned as he realized that she must be more hurt that he'd thought.

"Katie, what…" he broke off when he saw the ugly bruise on her right jaw.

"George, I need help," she gasped, then passed out sinking to the ground.

George frantically looked around for someone to help, but there wasn't a soul in sight.

Making up his mind, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the infirmary.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Harry and Melanie entered their sitting room and collapsed onto the sofa.

"Your parents are very…" Harry trailed off, unsure of how to finish.

"Yes, I know," she said with a grin.

It really hadn't gone bad at all. Patrick Walsh had looked Melanie over, decided that she was fine, and seemed to withdraw into himself. Only responding with simple 'yes dear, and no dear's when it was required of him. Teresa on the other hand, did not stop talking.

She cooed all over Melanie, straightening her robes, and tightening the clip on her hair. The whole time talking non-stop about the latest gossip from their home town.

When Teresa noticed Harry her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"You let him dress like that?" she demanded to Melanie.

Harry began to reply, but Melanie's pleading look made him change his mind.

Patrick gave him a small smile and nodded in approval at Harry's silence.

"H-he had a meeting that ran late and was in a hurry to change," she lied, her eyes telling him to just go along with her.

"Well, Mr. Potter, you should keep something more fashionable close at hand. I mean really, that style of robe hasn't been in fashion for three years!"

"I-uh, yes ma'am," he said.

She smiled.

"He's so well-mannered. I think you picked a good one Patrick! Now, let's talk about the wedding…"

It had been nothing but wedding talk for the last hour of their visit, and both Melanie and Harry had been relieved when they finally left.

"Harry?"

Her voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Thank you, for tonight," she said, smiling.

Harry turned his head to look at his smiling fiancée.

Her hair had started to fall from its clip and lose tendrils trailed her face, one coming to rest on her lip.

He reached a hand out and moved it away, watching, as her large eyes seemed to grow larger. He ignored the voice in his head that was telling him to run, and then slowly, so that she'd have time to move away, lowered his lips to hers.

The kiss was chaste and rather quick, but it still left Melanie blushing profusely.

"I'd better go to sleep," she mumbled, and got to her feet.

Melanie paused at her bedroom door, and looked back at him.

"Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, Melanie."

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Rachel glanced up from her desk when she heard the infirmary door bang open. She quickly left Poppy's office to see what the trouble was.

George or possibly Fred was carrying an unconscious woman.

"Put her here," Rachel commanded, gesturing to a bed and pulling out her wand.

George gently laid her down on the bed, and glanced anxiously at Rachel.

"Is she okay?" he asked.

"What happened?" Rachel asked instead of answering, running her wand over the girl's body.

"I ran into her on the front steps and we fell down them. She was conscious for a minute after that, but then she passed out," George explained quickly.

Rachel looked up with a reassuring smile.

"She's fine. A little banged up, and it looks like she hasn't eaten in a while, but she'll be fine."

"Nervous stomach," George commented.

"I'm sorry?"

"I went to school with her. She was on the house Quidditch team with Fred and me. She could never eat anything the day before a match because she had a nervous stomach," he explained.

She nodded, and went back to her examination.

"I wonder what she was doing here," George mused aloud.

"She was coming to see me," a voice said from the door.

"Headmaster?" George questioned.

Dumbledore hurried into the room, and began filling George in on Katie's situation.

"I only received her owl about an hour ago saying that she was coming. Unfortunately it's been too long for someone else to submit a contract for her," Dumbledore commented, but didn't look at all upset.

George was very upset.

"Marcus Flint? She has to marry Marcus Flint?" he demanded, furiously.

Albus bit back a chuckle.

"Oh, it's worse than you think. You see that bruise on her jaw? He did that when she refused to have dinner with him," he explained.

George's entire being was flushed red with rage.

"It can't be too late, we have to stop this!" he cried.

"When did she receive the contract?" Rachel asked.

Albus made a spectacle of checking his pockets for Katie's letter.

"Ah, here it is! Let's see. She received it Tuesday morning, one week ago."

Rachel glanced down at her unconscious patient, suddenly feeling very protective. The poor girl would have to marry an abusive man if she didn't intervene.

She looked up at George who looked like he would burst in anger at any minute.

"You're serious about wanting to help her?" she asked.

"Yes, I'll do whatever I have to," he cried.

"Come with me," Rachel said with a smile, and led him into Poppy's office.

She flooed her brothers office and was glad to see that he still had his habit of working late.

"Tim! I need your help," she said, and proceeded to explain the situation.

"There isn't time for anyone to come here to give a blood sample Rachel, I'm sorry," he said when she finished.

Rachel frowned then gasped as she was shoved out of the way.

"George Weasley! You already have my blood sample because I submitted a contract to Hermione Granger," he cried.

Tim smiled at the name.

"Yes, that could work! I'll file it right now, it should be in time," he said, happily.

George practically fell to the floor in relief.

"When will we know?" he asked, breathlessly.

"Within two weeks."

George thanked him, and then helped Rachel up off the floor, kissing her cheek in gratitude.

At the show of affection from her future brother-in-law, any indignation Rachel felt vanished, and she patted his arm.

George went back out into the infirmary to see that Katie had awakened.

"George, what's going on?" she asked, weakly.

The full impact of what he'd done suddenly hit him and he did what was only natural for self-proclaimed bachelors in this sort of situation. He fainted.

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Hermione walked into her chambers, still laughing about the green Fred and Ron. A quick look at the ingredients they'd been working on told her what had happened. They'd be back to normal by morning. She actually could have fixed them then, but decided they probably needed to learn a lesson.

Severus was at his desk marking parchments when she entered.

He looked up at her questioningly.

"It's late, we should get to bed," she said holding out a hand to him.

He looked at the hand warily, then back up at her face.

"Well?" he asked.

"I-I'm not pregnant," she lied dropping her hand.

He blinked, his eyes narrowing.

"Then I guess we'll have to try again," he said, slowly.

"I guess so," she said, holding out the hand again.

He allowed her to help him to his feet and pull him into the bedroom where she practically attacked him in her effort to remove his clothes.

"You don't seem that disappointed," he commented, helping her push off his robe.

"Well, we've got plenty of time," she said, kissing his neck.

He knew she was keeping something from him, but as her lips made their way up to his he decided he didn't really care. He'd get it out of her in the morning, whatever it was.

End Chapter 8


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Sigh, I've been a very bad author. I don't intend for these long lapses between updates to happen, they just do. I could write pages full of excuses as to why it's taken so long, but I won't bore you with my problems. Just know that I've felt very guilty about leaving you guys for so long. And I'll try my hardest to not let that happen again. Anyway, enjoy chapter 9.

Chapter 9

Harry walked across the lawn toward a small pond behind the Burrow. The soft grass was cool under his bare feet, and a gentle breeze eased the heat of the August night. The glow of fireflies provided the only light on this moonless summer night, and he could faintly make out the outline of a pale figure lying in the grass a few yards away.

Ginny was naked. Her porcelain skin held its own glow as he drew nearer to her. Her soft brown eyes lit up when she saw him and his heart skipped a beat at her seductive smile. He watched in awe as her arms reached up for him. Her brilliant red hair was spread out on the ground around her head.

"Come to me, Harry," she called in a low, rich voice that raised the hair on his arms.

He moved toward her without hesitation, kneeling on the grass beside her. His hand reached out, but he hesitated before it could make contact with her skin. There was something not right about this. Something he was forgetting.

A scream pierced the air, and he looked over to see Melanie surrounded by Death Eaters.

He felt a hand encircle his wrist and looked down to see Ginny tugging him closer.

"No, let me go," he said, yanking his hand away from her.

"Don't leave me Harry!" she cried her brown eyes turning scared.

"But Melanie needs my help…" he whispered, his gaze lifting to meet the terrified hazel ones of his fiancée.

"I need your help! Please Harry, I can't find…" But her sentence was cut off by another scream from Melanie.

Harry broke away from Ginny and ran toward Melanie.

The redhead's hand reached out and grabbed his ankle causing him to fall.

Harry landed hard on the stone floor of his bedroom in a tangle of sheets. He just sat there stunned for a minute before a real scream echoed through the wall.

He jumped to his feet and stumbled into Melanie's room.

She was thrashing in bed, caught in the throes of a nightmare and letting out shrieks of fear.

"Melanie!" Harry called, and ran to the bed.

He hauled her into a sitting position by her arms, and gave her a little shake.

Her eyes flew open, and she tried to shove him away.

"Melanie, it's me! It's Harry," he said, grabbing her wrists to keep her from hitting him.

She stilled.

"Harry?" she asked, squinting in the dark.

He nodded, and was surprised when she suddenly launched herself into his arms, sobbing into his pajama shirt.

Harry hesitated, waiting for the helplessness that always seemed to seize him upon having to deal with a crying woman, but it never came. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to wrap his arms around her and hold her close.

She quieted after a few minutes, but didn't move.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Harry asked after a minute.

She shook her head and tightened her grip on his shirt.

Harry racked his brain for something to say to her.

"Do you… do you want me to stay with you?" he asked finally, feeling the blush on his cheeks.

"Yes," she whispered, and lay back on the bed pulling him down with her.

Harry felt awkward for a moment as they tried to arrange their limbs so that they were touching, but not too intimately. Finally, they settled into a somewhat comfortable position with him on his back and her on her side with her head resting on his arm.

Knowing that his arm would lose circulation under her head like that, Harry resolved to stay just long enough for her to fall asleep. However, the terror from his own nightmare had left him rather tired as well and he ended up falling asleep before she did.

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Charlie lay in bed trying to sleep, and failing miserably. He couldn't get Rachel out of his mind. The scent of her skin, the softness of her body pressed against his, and the sweetness of her lips filled his senses every time he closed his eyes.

It amazed him how quickly he'd taken to her, and for a moment he wondered if he might possibly be in love with her. He dismissed the idea almost as soon as he thought it though. He definitely cared about her and wanted to keep her safe and happy. He also lusted after her, especially when he was alone in bed at night, but lust didn't equal love. He also had a nagging suspicion that some of the emotions he'd felt for Ginny had automatically transferred to Rachel.

Charlie sighed and rolled over firmly pushing everything from his mind. He'd barely fallen asleep when the pounding on his door started.

Letting out a groan, he resigned himself to the fact that he would not get his requisite five hours of sleep before classes started in the morning.

He got out of bed and stumbled to the door.

Charlie flung it open to find a very distraught and obviously drunk Fred on the other side.

"Oh Char-lee! S'awful!" he wailed and pushed passed Charlie into the room.

He looked around in confusion for a moment before plopping down in a chair.

"What happened?" Charlie demanded. He was unnerved that something could upset his carefree brother so much.

"Wot 'append! Jus the end 'o George's life," he slurred.

Charlie dropped to his knees in front of Fred, snapping his fingers to get his brother's attention.

"Fred! What happened to George? Is he hurt?" Charlie asked, fearing the worst.

"'e dun got 'imself trapped," Fred explained, sorrowfully.

"Trapped where?"

Fred didn't answer; he just swayed a little.

"Fred! Where is George!" Charlie yelled.

"Damn, Char-lee! Ya don't hafta yell at me," he whined, holding his hands over his ears.

Charlie took a steadying breath then repeated his question gently, but firmly.

"Where is George?"

"'ospital wing," Fred muttered then slumped over in the chair.

Charlie hastily threw a blanket over his snoring brother, and made a mad dash for the infirmary, praying that George was okay. He couldn't stand the thought of losing another brother.

The hospital wing was dark, and he could just make out two bodies on two of the beds.

He crept close to them, lighting his wand so that he could see them more clearly.

George was in the first bed, sleeping like a baby. Charlie felt an enormous wave of relief wash over him as he watched the steady rise and fall of his brother's chest. Whatever had happened to him, George seemed fine now.

The figure in the second bed had jumped slightly when Charlie lit his wand. He turned to see a young woman with wavy hair staring at him warily. He frowned when he noticed the dark bruise on her jaw.

"Charlie?" she asked, hesitantly.

He nodded and sighed as he was once again faced with a pretty girl who knew him, but he could not remember.

"I'm Katie Bell. I was on the Quidditch team with Fred and George," she explained, "You're sort of a legend in Gryffindor," she continued with a small smile.

He grinned back and held out a hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Katie. Would you mind telling me what's going on with George?" he asked, politely.

The smile left her face and she glanced at the sleeping man beside her.

"George volunteered to help me, and I think the shock was too much for him," she said, frowning.

Charlie was confused.

"Help you how?"

"He submitted a marriage contract for me, but I don't think he realized what he was doing until it was done."

Charlie snorted. Everything was finally starting to make sense.

"How did you manage to get him to do it? Just the other day he was telling me how there was no way he'd ever consider submitting a contract for anyone," Charlie explained, looking at her in awe.

Katie's frowned deepened, and her eyes grew bright with tears.

"Marcus Flint submitted a contract for me last week. He's the one who did this," she whispered, pointing to her bruised jaw.

Charlie felt anger rising within him as she explained her situation. He realized that any one of his brothers would have done the same thing George had, he'd just run into her first.

Charlie gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry about George, he'll be fine. He's just a little commitment-shy, but he'll get over it. In fact I think you might be very good for my brother."

He was pleased to see her small smile.

The clock chimed two am.

"You should get some rest, Katie. I'll come check on you tomorrow," he said, turning to leave.

Katie nodded at him, but her eyes filled again as she turned to look at George.

Charlie turned back and gently took her hand.

"Welcome to the family, little sister," he said, and gave her hand a slight squeeze.

A couple of the tears slipped out as she whispered, "Thank you."

Charlie walked to the door of the infirmary, but doubled back when he noticed the light coming out from under Poppy's office door.

His pulse quickened at the thought of seeing Rachel again.

Charlie knocked lightly on the door, and after a minute with no answer, slowly pushed it open.

Rachel was sitting at the desk; her head resting on her folded arms as she softly snored.

He winced at the angle of her neck. The candles around the room had almost completely burned out, telling Charlie that she must have been there for quite some time.

Charlie walked over and gently shook her awake.

"Rachel?"

She groaned and a hand reached up to massage her neck.

Charlie smiled and batted her hand out of the way, replacing it with his own. He gently kneaded the stiff muscles, and reveled in her sighs of pleasure.

"What time is it?" she asked with a yawn.

"Just after two," he responded moving his hands down lower to work on the tight muscles of her upper back.

"My patients…"

"Are sleeping soundly," he finished her sentence.

He lowered his head to whisper in her ear.

"You've been working too hard," he chastised gently.

Rachel shivered at the feel of his warm breath on her ear. She bit back a moan when his lips touched the bare skin above the collar of her robes. He placed little kisses all the way up her neck until finally claiming her mouth.

Charlie suddenly realized the she was no longer kissing him back, and pulled away only to have her fall forward onto his chest.

He laughed silently as he realized that she must have fallen asleep while kissing him.

He gently shook her awake again, then scooped her up into his arms.

"Where's your room?" he asked.

She blinked at him, taking a moment for his words to sink in.

She pointed to a bookcase on the other side of the room, and when Charlie lifted his hand to touch it. He was surprised to see his arm go right through it.

He felt around for a moment and his hand suddenly grasped a knob. It turned easily, and he stepped through the bookcase, carrying her over the threshold.

It was a small room compared to the ones the Professors had, and it only consisted of one room with a connecting bathroom.

He carried her over to the four-poster on the far side of the room, and gently lay her down.

He pulled off her boots and stockings while she watched him with half-closed eyes.

Rachel sat up and shrugged out of her outer robe, then pulled the blankets back and crawled under.

When she had settled he kissed her, but pulled away before she could fall asleep again.

"Goodnight, Rachel," Charlie whispered, and turned to go with a sad sigh.

He grimaced as he thought about trying to sleep in the same room with a drunk Fred. The distraught twin owned the title of loudest snore-er in the Weasley household.

"Charlie?" Rachel's soft voice stopped him before he reached the door.

He turned back to look at her questioningly.

"Stay with me?" she asked, sleepily.

She didn't have to ask twice.

Charlie, already in his pajamas, quickly dove under the covers and pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her hair.

She snuggled against his chest and was asleep in seconds.

Charlie stayed awake for quite a while, marveling at how good she felt in his arms. When sleep finally did claim him, he dreamed of her.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Hermione stirred and opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed, was the warm weight of Severus's arm that was resting across her bare stomach.

She looked up to study her husband in the early morning light. She'd never seen him asleep before. He always fell asleep after her at night and woke up before her in the mornings.

He looked much younger with his long face relaxed in sleep. His hair was not hiding the scarred half of his face, but Hermione had become so accustomed to it that she barely registered it anymore.

She lifted a finger to run along one of the longer gashes in his face, but his hand suddenly shot out and grabbed her wrist preventing her from touching him.

Severus's eyes flew open and he glared at her, releasing her wrist.

"What are you doing?" he hissed, absently pulling his hair back over his scars like a curtain.

At his action Hermione felt an odd sensation in her chest. It was almost as if her heart was expanding and contracting at the same time. She blinked at him oddly, then leaned forward and kissed him.

Severus jerked back, startled.

Hermione looked away, not quite sure why she had kissed him.

"What are you hiding from me?" he asked, remembering what had happened the night before.

"Nothing," she muttered turning pink and slipping out of bed.

He was distracted for a moment as he watched her naked form disappear into the bathroom, but when the door shut behind her he returned to his senses.

He jumped out of bed, put on his robe, and then grabbed hers. He hesitated at the bathroom door, wondering if he should knock first but decided against it. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen all of her before.

"I wasn't fini-" he was saying as he barged in, and stopped in shock.

Hermione was retching into the toilet.

Severus watched her in disgust.

"What's wrong with you?" he demanded when she'd finished.

Hermione groaned and leaned back against the bathroom wall putting a hand over her eyes.

"I'm sick," she muttered, then shivered.

He tossed her robe to her then turned to leave.

"I'll get you a potion," he said.

"NO!" she shouted.

He stopped in his tracks and turned around to face her.

"Why not?" he asked slowly.

"Because, I-I don't want one," she said, lamely.

Severus lifted an eyebrow in disbelief.

"You don't want one?"

She stood up and wrapped her robe around herself.

"I feel fine now, see? It was nothing! Probably just something I ate…" she broke off and put a hand to her mouth as she was overcome once more with nausea.

She ran back to the toilet and threw-up again. When she finished he was glaring down at her with his arms crossed.

"Oh, I'm sure it's nothing," he said sarcastically.

Hermione just stared at the floor, her eyes filling with tears.

Severus frowned when he realized she was crying and gave a helpless sigh.

"If you don't want a potion, what do you want?" he demanded.

Hermione leapt to her feet in a surge of anger and pushed him out the door.

"I want privacy! Just leave me alone!" she yelled and slammed the door in his perplexed face.

Severus just stood there for a moment, replaying the conversation in his head. It didn't make any sense.

He sighed and headed to the closet to get dressed reflecting on his wife's odd behavior. The night before she'd practically jumped him as soon as they had walked in the bedroom. She also seemed to savor their lovemaking more than she had before. It had almost seemed like she was afraid that it would be their last time together.

Severus caught his reflection in the mirror and snorted. Of course that wasn't the case. Who could possibly want to continue to sleep with him every night? No, she must have been eager last night in an attempt to quickly get pregnant so she wouldn't have to subject herself to him anymore. That had to be it.

Maybe she really wasn't hiding anything. Maybe she was just sick and it was making her act weird. IF that was the case, he really hoped that she wasn't contagious.

He walked over to the bathroom door, and gently knocked.

"What?" she called through the door.

"Are you ready to go to breakfast?" he asked.

He grimaced when he heard her start retching again.

"I think I'll skip it today, thanks. Go ahead without me," she called a few minutes later.

Severus opened his mouth to say something else, then changed his mind and left for the Great Hall. Poppy would be back on Sunday, he'd ask her about Hermione symptoms then, if she was still sick.

End chapter 9


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 

Rachel cornered Hermione as she was walking out of her office one Saturday evening and demanded the she tell Severus about the baby.

"He's making a double-strength potion for me because he thinks the one you took didn't work!"

"So? You'll just get pregnant right away, what's the big deal?" Hermione asked.

"What's the big deal? A double strength pregnancy potion combined with the Weasley fertility history! I don't know if it's possible to have ten kids at once, but I sure as hell am not finding out!" Rachel said, adamantly.

"You tell him, or I will!" she threatened and stalked away.

Hermione nodded to herself and headed for the dungeons. It was time.

She walked slowly through the closet and placed her left hand on the knob of the door on the back wall. She stopped and took a deep breath praying that her Gryffindor courage would not desert her now.

It had been a month since she learned she was pregnant, and she had yet to inform her husband. Unfortunately, tomorrow was Charlie and Rachel's wedding day and Severus was currently making a double-strength pregnancy potion.

Rachel had a point. The poor girl was nervous enough about the wedding and Hermione felt terrible for adding to her worries. It would be selfish to continue to hide the pregnancy any longer. She only hoped that he would understand and not hate her for it.

She found him bent over a cauldron, muttering under his breath as he added ingredients. She walked over to him, and waited for him to acknowledge her. He didn't, so she cleared her throat.

"I can't stop now, Hermione, come back in an hour," he said, completely focused on the task at hand.

"Actually this can't wait, and you'll end up throwing that out anyway," she commented, and he finally looked up at her.

"She's pregnant already isn't she? I guess that's not such a surprise as much as I've caught them in closets together," he said with an amused smirk.

Hermione wished she could take that lie and run with it. In all honesty Rachel probably wouldn't need the potion to get pregnant anyway, but Hermione knew that she needed to clear the air.

"Severus, come with me there's something we need to discuss," she said, grabbing his hand.

"No, I should finish this. Even if she doesn't need it you still do…" He stopped talking, his eyes going wide. "Unless, you don't?" he said slowly.

Hermione felt happy, guilty, and scared all at the same time. Her hormones were really starting to piss her off.

"Just come with me already!" She practically shouted and walked out of the room.

She was shaking so she sat in one of the sitting room chairs to wait on him.

Severus joined her a few minutes later looking confused and a little perturbed.

"Well?" he asked when she remained silent.

"Rachel's not pregnant, I am," she said, watching his expressions carefully.

"Oh. Why did you stop me from making the potion then?" he asked.

"Oh? I tell you that I'm carrying your child and all you say is 'oh'?" she demanded.

"Um, yea?" he asked hesitantly.

Hermione suddenly burst into sobs.

"You don't want it! You didn't want me and now you don't want our baby!" she wailed.

Severus sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Hermione, I refuse to discuss this with you if you can't control yourself," he warned.

The tears stopped instantly. Hermione pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and cleaned up her face.

"I'm sorry. It's the hormones. I doubt this will be the last time I have an outburst like this," she commented sounding removed from the situation.

Severus blinked and shook his head.

"Great. Okay, you're pregnant. This is good news. Now, why did you stop me from making Rachel's potion? I wanted to get it done so we could turn in early… Oh."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"You're pregnant," he said.

"And?"

"And now we don't have to turn in early. I guess I should see about acquiring my own bedroom…"

"No!" She cried and he jumped three feet at her outburst.

"Oh for Merlin's sake Hermione! I'm sitting right here you don't have to yell. This is another pregnancy thing isn't it?"

"You don't need your own bedroom," she insisted.

He gave her a calculating look and shook his head.

"No. I couldn't stand the thought of you coming to my bed out of pity." He said, trying not looking at her.

"Pity? Is that what you think? Severus, I've been lying to you for a month now," she admitted.

"Lying? You hate me so much you've been lying to me?" he demanded.

"No. I've been lying to you because I… I love you."

Severus skeptically raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so?"

"I was pregnant after our first weekend together," she whispered.

He blinked.

"That's silly. Why would you lie about that?" he asked.

"Because I knew that you'd insist on not sleeping with me anymore! I can see now that I was right." She accused, looking hurt.

"But I… I mean you… You don't want to stop?"

He couldn't seem to wrap his head around what she was telling him.

"No, I don't."

He could do nothing but stare at her, bewildered.

Hermione sighed and got up from her chair. She walked over to him and sat in his lap, just as she'd done the night of her return to Hogwarts.

"Severus, I am your wife," she said, taking his hand and placing it on her still-flat stomach.

"And this is your child. We're your responsibility now, whether you like it or not. It is your job as my husband to keep me satisfied, especially in bed," she said with a saucy grin.

"Hermione, it's not a…" he began, but she brought a finger to his lips to silence him.

"No Severus. This is one thing I will not compromise on. You will keep me satisfied, or I will make your life a living hell. Now, take me to bed," she commanded, regally.

"Now? But it's only…"

She cut him off with a deep kiss. He was shocked by her passion and felt his own begin to grow.

"As my lady commands," he said, and carried her to the bedroom.

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Melanie and Harry stumbled through the door of their rooms and collapsed in a heap on the sofa.

"I can't move," Melanie moaned as she kicked off her boots.

Harry just grunted and leaned his head back with his eyes closed.

They'd just returned from a ten-hour shopping excursion with Mrs. Walsh. But it was finally finished. All the wedding arrangements were taken care of. In a week, they'd be married, and hopefully it would be a long time before Harry had to see that crazy woman again.

He cracked open an eye to look at Melanie, who was rubbing her sore feet. He wondered just how much like her mother she'd turn out to be. He wasn't too concerned as it was obvious she'd hated the whole shopping thing as much as he had.

"I don't know how many pairs of shoes Mum stuffed my feet into, but I think I'm just going to wear my trainers. My gown is so long, it's not like anyone can see my feet anyway," she complained.

Harry closed his eyes again and pondered the situation.

"You must really love your mother," he commented, and Melanie looked at him, startled.

"Of course I do. She's…my mum," she responded, staring at him like he wasn't quite right in the head.

His jewel-green eyes opened and locked onto her hazel ones.

"I never knew my mother," he said.

His voice was even and steady, but his eyes held a wistful sadness that touched her.

Melanie tilted her head to the side as she studied his face.

"I forget things like that sometimes. I mean, I know your story, everyone does, but sometimes I have trouble connecting you with the Great Harry Potter in the newspapers," she commented thoughtfully.

He laughed bitterly, and looked away from her.

"I'm not great. I only did what anyone in my situation would have."

"Not just anyone, but you're right. You're not 'great', and I for one am very glad about that," she said, with a teasing smile.

He looked at her again, confused.

"What do you mean?" he demanded, trying to determine whether or not he'd been insulted.

She giggled.

"I mean you are not some larger than life war hero like everyone makes you out to be. Yes, you defeated Voldemort, but you leave your dirty socks on the floor. You saved the world, but you're addicted to Qudditch, just like almost every other ordinary wizard. Also, you snore," she pointed out.

Melanie blushed as she remembered the last time she'd heard him snore. Almost a month ago she had woken up to it. She'd had a nightmare about the night she was attacked, and rather than go back to his bed, she'd convinced him to stay with her in hers. They'd only been slightly touching when she'd fallen asleep again, but when she woke up, she'd found herself pressed up against him with his arms wrapped tightly around her. She'd felt the heat of his body along the length of hers where they'd touched, and had decided it was a very nice feeling.

She had felt safe and cared for. When he began to stir, however, she instantly feigned sleep, afraid that he might not be happy with their position. She held herself very still and held back a gasp as she'd felt his lips brush across her forehead. He had gotten up and left after that, and they'd never spoken about it.

He chuckled and shook his head.

"Did you just give me a compliment by pointing out my faults?" He asked, looking at her in awe.

She just smiled and painfully got to her feet.

"What time is Professor Weasley's wedding tomorrow?" She asked him with a yawn.

"9 o'clock."

She sighed.

"Too early," she grumbled and began limping to her room.

"You okay?" He asked when she reached her door.

"Yeah. I'm going to soak in the tub then turn in," she said.

He nodded and said, "I think I'll do the same."

Their eyes met and they both blushed.

"In my own bathroom, of course," he added quickly.

Melanie nodded at him and disappeared into her room.

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"That's not the book I need!" A fifth year Ravenclaw's dismayed cry rang throughout the crowded, but quiet, library.

Katie groaned inwardly and walked back to the shelves to seek out the elusive book. She'd known it probably wasn't the right one, but had hoped the student wouldn't notice.

No such luck. With OWLs right around the corner the fifth years were all hanging precariously on the brink of insanity.

Katie climbed up on a stool and pulled out a book so that she could better read the title. A cloud of dust hit her in the face and she began sneezing uncontrollably.

She gave a sigh and shoved the book back into its place. Of all the things she'd dreamt of becoming as a child, a librarian was not one of them. Unfortunately, Dumbledore had no other position to offer her. And while he would have allowed her to stay at Hogwarts without working for him, Katie just didn't feel right about it.

Katie had wanted to see if Madam Rosemerta would hire her as a waitress, then she could pay some sort of rent to Dumbledore. George had shot that idea down right away.

"You're safe here in the castle. By leaving you'll give Flint the opportunity to snatch you away," he had said.

He was right and Katie was touched that George cared.

Though at the moment she wasn't feeling very tender toward him. George had been avoiding her for weeks. They had a wedding to plan, but she had yet to have the opportunity to speak with him about it.

It seemed he was spending more and more time at the shop and less at the castle.

"Exam time is always a busy time for our business," Fred had told her when she'd cornered him a couple of days ago.

At least, she thought it was Fred. George had taken on the annoying habit of pretending to be Fred so that he wouldn't have to talk to her. It hurt, but Hermione had assured her that both Fred and George were idiots afraid of commitment. She insisted that it had nothing to do with Katie personally, and that George would be much more amicable once they were married and he realized that the world wouldn't end because of it.

'Is this really the man I want to father my children?' Katie asked herself, as she stared blankly at another shelf of books.

Suddenly, she spotted the book she was looking for. It was on the top shelf of the case across from the one she was at. Now Katie knew that the proper thing to do would be to climb down off of the stool and move it to the other case so that she could climb back up and safely retrieve the desired book. She could even remove her wand from her pocket and summon the book to her. But she didn't.

No, she did the dangerous, stupid thing, and leaned across the aisle, arm outstretched toward her goal. She realized her mistake the instant before she fell. Luckily for her, it was not the hard stone floor that caught her, but a pair of warm, muscular arms.

Her heart rate sped up and mouth turned dry as she looked into the face of the Weasley holding her. She tried desperately to keep the disappointment off of her face when she realized that it was Ron and not George who was holding her.

"Oy, Katie! You ought to be more careful," he chided, setting her gently on her feet.

Katie swallowed, but couldn't seem to say anything. All she could think about was how hard his chest was, and how good it had felt pressed against her.

Ron looked up at the book she'd been reaching for. He smiled at her, then stretched up an arm and easily pulled it from the shelf. He handed it to her, only to see it quickly snatched from her hand by the Ravenclaw, who was now practically foaming at the mouth.

He shook his head with a smirk.

"I'd forgotten how crazy everyone got before OWLs," he commented.

Katie gave a nervous laugh, and nodded looking at the floor.

"Are you okay?" he asked her after a minute.

She nodded again, and then cleared her throat.

"Can I help you with something? You're not here looking for a book are you?" she asked, hoping that he wasn't.

He laughed.

"No, of course not! I was actually looking for you. I could use some help with the new Qudditch teams, and Dumbledore suggested I ask you," he explained.

"Me?" she squeaked.

He gave her an odd look, but nodded.

"Yeah, you've been playing professionally haven't you?" he asked.

She nodded again.

"Well then. I'm sure the students would love to learn from your expertise. Besides, you must be going batty being cooped up in here all day. Some fresh air would do you good."

At her hesitant look he held up his hands.

"Look, if you don't want to, just say so. Tell you what, you think it over. Talk to George and then let me…" he trailed off when he saw a tear slip from her eye.

Katie hastily swiped it away and turned away from him.

"What is it?" he asked, confused.

Katie's shoulders slumped as she turned back to face him, hoping that she wouldn't shed anymore tears.

"I can't talk to George. He's hardly ever here, and when he is, he pretends to be Fred so that he doesn't have to talk to me. I've tried to be patient and understanding, but I'm starting to wish that he'd never offered to marry me," she said in a rush.

She watched Ron's expression turn from shock to fury. It felt good that he was angry on her behalf.

"That git!"

Katie smiled and nodded in agreement.

Ron took a moment to really look at her. Her pale face was covered in dust, and her eyes looked weary and hurt. She also seemed to be quite thinner than when she'd first arrived. Her robes were a bit big on her, and her hair hung in a tight braid down her back. This was not the Katie Bell he'd remembered from school.

"C'mon, we need to get you out of here," he said, taking her arm and steering her toward the door.

"Ron, I can't just leave the library unattended," she protested.

Someone loudly cleared their throat and the pair turned around to see Dumbledore standing behind them.

He smiled benignly at them.

"I was just coming down to see if you needed a break, Miss Bell. I can see that I was right on time."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Rachel sighed against Charlie's mouth as she felt his hand slip into her robes. She groaned as his warm hand closed over her bare breast and he deepened the kiss and pressed her tighter against the wall of the broom closet.

"What if Snape catches us again?" she asked, breathlessly.

Charlie groaned and leaned around her to hit his head on the wall.

"You can't mention the greasy git when were doing this. It makes me lose enthusiasm," he complained and she giggled.

"Hermione sure seems to like him," she commented thoughtfully, and Charlie groaned again.

"Great, thanks for that mental image," he said, playfully then moved to kiss her again.

She ducked her head.

"No, Charlie. We need to stop now," she said firmly.

"Why? We'll be married tomorrow! The whole school thinks we've already fu-"

"Charlie! It's one more day! We can wait one more day, please?" Rachel begged, batting her eyes at him.

He gave a defeated sigh and nodded.

"I can wait, but I'm not happy about it," he mumbled.

She smiled at him and pecked his cheek.

"I love you, Charlie Weasley."

They both froze at her words.

"I-I mean, oh! Wow, I do. Charlie, I'm in love with you," she said, as if the idea had really just occurred to her.

They smiled at each other, and she submitted to another deep kiss.

But when Charlie left her at the infirmary ten minutes later all Rachel could think about was that he had not returned her sentiment.

End Chapter 10


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Sorry for yet another long delay. I went on vacation for a week, and then came home to the HBP, so I haven't had much time to write. Needless to say this story is AU since HBP came out. But as my beta says, all fanfiction stories are AU anyway. Okay, well, I tried to make this chapter a bit longer, and I'll be sending the next one to my beta tomorrow, so hopefully it won't take so long to update.

Thanks KT!

BTW- I've been nominated for a multifaceted award! Go vote for Laws of Love under the Original Character category. Voting lasts 'till July 31! http/www.magical-worlds.us/multifaceted

Chapter 11

Hermione had agreed to help Rachel get ready for the wedding. The young healer was supposed to meet her in the Snapes's chambers at 6 o'clock that morning. When the clock chimed 7 and Rachel still had not appeared, Hermione got worried and went in search of her.

She found Rachel in bed, with the covers pulled up over her head, shaking like a leaf.

Rachel began moaning about how Charlie wasn't really in love with her and she was probably better off with Crabbe.

"What utter nonsense! Charlie is head over heels for you! You ought to know that better than anyone, seeing as how he can't keep his hands off of you," Hermione pointed out.

Rachel stuck her head out from under the blanket to glare at her.

"That's not love, its lust!" She wailed then burrowed back under the blanket.

Hermione sighed, and placed a hand on her belly. Didn't she have enough to worry about?

Saying a silent prayer for patience, Hermione walked over to the bed and sat down.

"Rachel, yesterday afternoon you were fine. What happened to cause this?" She asked as gently as she could.

Rachel was quiet for a minute, before she slowly sat up peeking at Hermione over the blanket.

"I told Charlie I loved him, and he didn't say it back," she answered, voice muffled.

Hermione felt her temper begin to rise again.

"He didn't 'say' he loved you? Rachel, you've only known each other for a month," she said slowly through clenched teeth.

Rachel dropped the blanket and glared at her.

"So? A month is plenty long enough to fall in love," she declared.

Hermione shook her head in exasperation.

"Honestly Rachel! Just because he didn't 'say' it back, doesn't mean he doesn't feel the same way," she chided.

Rachel gave her a skeptical look.

"When did you first realized that you loved him?"

Rachel thought for a moment.

"Last night. We were talking and it just kind of slipped out. I think I was more surprised than he was, but I immediately realized that it was true. So I said it again, and he didn't answer," she explained, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"You probably just startled him…"

"No! He just doesn't feel the same, and probably never will!" Rachel cried, pulling the blanket back over her head.

Hermione ripped the blanket away and threw it across the room, fed up.

"Let's say that he doesn't love you. Let's say that he never will. It changes nothing! None of us get to marry for love; we have to marry because of a law. Do you think Severus has ever told me that he loves me? Do you think I don't lay awake at night crying and longing to hear those words from him? I'll never get to hear those words from my husband, and it's all because of that stupid law!"

Hermione was panting when she finished and Rachel was looking at her with an expression of fear mingled with pity.

Hermione sighed and spoke more calmly.

"Look, I don't mean to belittle your feelings, because they are important. I'm sorry Charlie didn't say he loved you. You'll just have to get him to realize that he does. Charlie is a great guy, and he'll come to his senses, probably a lot sooner than you think. In the mean time, you've only got about forty-five minutes to get ready for the wedding. Think of your children, and the future of the Wizarding World. That's essentially why we're all doing this. If you find love along the way, more power to you."

They sat in silence for a few minutes then Rachel nodded and got off the bed.

"Thanks, Hermione," she whispered giving her a hug.

Hermione felt a lump form in her throat as she was seized with a sudden longing for her mother. The two women held the embrace longer than they normally would have. Each soaking up comfort from the other.

Rachel pulled away reluctantly.

"I'd better get in the shower," she said, brushing a few stray tears from her face.

"And I'll put out your gown," Hermione said, turning toward the closet.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"Professor Snape will come to his senses too. You'll see."

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Melanie sighed and picked at her scrambled eggs, lost in thought.

"What's up?" Genelle asked cheerily as she slid into the seat beside her.

"Nothing," Melanie answered quickly in a high-pitched voice.

Genelle gave her a look.

"Lanie, I've known you for five years, I know when something is upsetting you," she said, pointedly.

Melanie sighed again, her cheeks heating.

"I'm just worrying…" she trailed off, taking a big gulp of orange juice and hoping that Genelle would just drop it.

She didn't.

"About what?"

Melanie sent her friend an irritated glare.

"About marrying Prof- Harry! What else?"

Genelle smiled.

"I thought you were okay with him now. You said that the wedding details were all finished, and that your mother was the trouble-shooter for it anyway. What are you worried about?"

Melanie contemplated her friend for a few minutes in silence.

She was embarrassed about her particular concerns, but if you couldn't talk to your best friend about this kind of thing, who could you talk to?

She took a deep breath before mumbling, "I'm worried about the wedding night."

To her surprise Genelle just nodded in sympathy.

"He still hasn't told you where you're spending your honeymoon has he?" She asked.

"Huh? Uh, no, but that's not what I meant."

Genelle gave her a confused look.

"What did you mean then?"

"I mean, the wedding night. You know, sleeping together," she explained slowly.

"Because he snores?"

"Genelle!" Melanie practically shouted, earning a few curious stares from her fellow students.

Genelle laughed and gave her a mischievous grin, letting Melanie know that she was being teased. For the first time since she'd met Genelle, Melanie began to see the 'Slytherin' in her friend.

"I know what you mean. You're worried about having sex. I'm pretty sure that's normal, but I'm not really an authority on the subject," she said, and began buttering some toast.

"I just wish I knew what was expected of me," she said, taking another bite of her breakfast.

"Talk to Professor Potter," Genelle suggested.

"I can't do that!" Melanie cried with a horrified look.

"Why not? You want to know what he expects from you. Who better to tell you than he himself?"

Melanie frowned, not liking her friend's words, and yet knowing there was a truth to them.

"I can't talk to Harry about sex. It would be too awkward," she moaned.

"Well, you two will be doing a lot more than just talking about it next weekend," Genelle pointed out.

A minute later Harry was passing by them on his way to the Head Table.

"Morning," he said, giving them a slight smile.

"Uh, Harry?" Melanie asked, and he stopped and turned to look at her.

She quickly went to him, and pulled him off to the side so that they wouldn't be overheard.

"Are you okay?" he asked with a frown, his eyes shifting distrustfully to the other students at the Slytherin table.

"Oh, no! I'm fine, I just… I wanted to discuss some things with you, privately, when you get a minute," she said, quickly.

"What about?" he asked, looking at her curiously.

She flushed and looked at the floor.

"Oh, just some general 'marriage things'," she mumbled.

Harry blushed a little too.

"Um, okay. How about this afternoon, after the wedding reception? We can go back to our rooms and talk, okay?"

"Sure."

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Katie fidgeted nervously in her seat as she waited for the wedding to begin. George was on her right discussing something with Fred in hushed tones. They were ignoring her as usual.

She let out a soft sigh, truly unhappy.

_At least he's not Flint._ She told herself sternly for the hundredth time.

She turned her attention to the castle, hoping they'd hurry things up. An outdoor wedding was a nice idea, but it was beginning to look like it might rain.

She checked her watch again.

It was almost nine-thirty. Didn't the invitation say it would start at nine?

She sighed again and George turned to face her looking irritated.

"What?" he demanded.

Katie blinked at him in confusion.

"That's the fifth time I've heard you sigh in as many minutes, what's wrong?"

She glared at him.

"I'm surprised you heard anything at all, as you've been so absorbed in your conversation with Fred," she said, snippily.

"Oh, so now that we're engaged I have to make sure that you have my undivided attention every second of every day?" he demanded harshly.

"No, actually it'd be nice to have your attention for even one second any day, but I guess that's too much to ask," she bit back.

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, flushing in anger.

"Look, I'm marrying you aren't I? I'm saving you from a fate worse than death, can't that be enough for you?"

She looked away from him, her eyes burning.

"Katie?" he asked, tentatively, as if he realized he'd gone too far.

She ignored him and fished a handkerchief out of her purse to dab at her eyes.

A couple of people in the row in front of them were looking at her questioningly.

She shrugged at them.

"I always cry at weddings," she offered, then blew her nose.

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Ron hurried toward the wedding, hoping he hadn't missed too much. He couldn't believe he'd overslept and almost missed his own brother's wedding.

He came to an abrupt halt when the alter came into view and the bride was no where to be seen.

Good, they hadn't started yet.

He was about to go sit next to Harry when he heard a small sniffle.

Ron looked over to see Katie staring resolutely at the ground, dabbing her eyes every few minutes.

George was sitting next to her, his expression a mixture of guilt and irritation.

_What did that bludger-head do now?_

He walked toward them, grabbing one of the blush-colored roses that had been enchanted to float in the air.

Making sure to walk behind their row so he could 'accidentally' ram his elbow into George's head, he made his way to the empty seat beside Katie.

"Hi Katie, is this seat taken?" He asked offering her the rose.

She looked stunned at first, then shook her head and gave him a bright smile.

"For me?" She asked, taking the rose from him and bringing it up to her nose.

Ron felt his heart skip a beat as she peered at him shyly from beneath her lashes. He wanted to kiss her. To wipe away the tears his brother had put on her face. But he couldn't. Katie belonged to George for all intents and purposes, and Ron didn't even know if Katie thought about him that way.

Giving into the impulse, he wiped a stray tear from her cheek and sent a glare to George, who was immersed in his conversation with Fred again and not paying them the slightest amount of attention.

She was staring at him with wide eyes, and he finally sat himself in the chair beside her.

Hermione suddenly appeared, looking flushed and a bit disheveled. Ron gave her a questioning glance, but she just shook her head at him and settled in a chair next to Snape.

The wedding march started then and everyone turned to see Timothy leading Rachel down the aisle.

The crowd murmured in appreciation of the beautiful bride. Her golden hair shining in a ray of sun that had managed to slip past the clouds.

Charlie looked deliriously happy and Ron was relieved that at least things were going well between those two.

Katie gave another mournful sigh as the two exchanged vows and George sent her a quick irritated glance. She ducked her head and felt another tear slip from her eye.

She had to bite back a gasp as a large warm hand suddenly took hold of her own.

Ron hated seeing her cry, and had decided that if George wouldn't do what he was supposed to and comfort his fiancé, then he would have to do it for him. Katie would soon be his sister-in-law. However, as the wedding progressed and their hands remained entwined together, Ron found that his drifting thoughts were much more than brotherly.

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Harry took his time changing out of his dress robes, knowing that Melanie was waiting for him. He thought he knew what she wanted to talk about and he was not looking forward to it.

He thought back to the few sexual experiences he'd had. Sadly, none of them had been with Ginny. After losing her in the war he felt hollow inside and incomplete because of his hand.

The first woman he'd ever slept with was the nurse that had taken care of him after that final battle. She was a good ten years older than him and married besides. However she, and a couple of other women after her, felt as if they owed him something for 'saving the world'. All in all, he'd only slept with three of them. Only because they had red hair and brown eyes, and they'd come to him when he was good and drunk. He'd awaken the next morning feeling disgusted with himself, and missing Ginny even more.

He never heard from any of them again, and only assumed he'd been a lousy sex partner. That thought had never really bothered him before; he hadn't cared for any of those women anyway. However, he did care for Melanie, and he wanted her to have a good experience with him.

Hermione had been with Snape for a month now, and she still wasn't pregnant as far as he knew. And with Melanie's 'condition' after being attacked, it might take even longer for her to get pregnant.

Harry caught his reflection in the mirror and his thoughts turned to the future. He smiled as he imagined a baby with his green eyes and Melanie's perfect bow lips. A real family of his own was all he'd ever wanted. It almost seemed unreal to him that it was actually going to happen. He wished that the circumstances were better. He would have rather fallen in love with her, and have her marry him because she wanted to. But then, he never would have looked at her twice if it weren't for the law.

He straightened the collar on his shirt and headed for the door. Enough procrastinating, it was time to get this over with.

Melanie was seated on the sofa with her legs crossed and her hands clasped in her lap. Harry was struck again by how classy she looked when she wasn't wearing her uniform. She was wearing peach robes with a khaki skirt, and had her hair pulled back on each side of her face with barrettes.

"You look nice," he said, before he could stop himself.

She gave him a nervous smile as she mumbled a 'thank you'.

Rather than joining her on the sofa like he normally did, he pulled up a chair and sat down across from her. For some reason, he felt more comfortable with the coffee table in between them.

Her eyes narrowed slightly at his choice of seat, but she didn't comment on it.

"Harry, this could be a really awkward conversation, but I'm just going to speak my mind and hope we can get it over with quickly," she said, blushing and looking at the floor.

Harry braced himself and said, "Go ahead."

She took a breath and spoke quickly.

"I need to know what you expect of me."

Harry blinked.

"What I expect of you? I'm not sure I understand."

She frowned, and tried to think of the best way to phrase it.

"Um, on the wedding night. According to the law, we have to consummate the marriage that night. But I've never…" she trailed off with a blush.

"Consummated before," Harry finished for her with a small smile.

She cringed and nodded, watching him closely.

Harry sighed and ran a hand down his face.

It was times like this, when she looked so young and vulnerable, that he really felt their age difference. Briefly, Harry wondered whether Snape had had as much trouble accepting the terms of the law. Hermione was a lot younger than Snape, but at least she was really and truly an adult when they slept together. The girl in front of him was barely eighteen and at the moment, seemed even younger than that. Plus, she was still his student!

The thing that bothered him the most was that she was insisting they discuss it. This only proved how worried she really was about it, and Harry really had no idea what to say to ease her worries.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, finally.

She bit her lip and glanced away for a moment.

"I just… Will you… That is… Will it hurt much?" she asked slowly bringing her gaze back to his.

How the hell was he supposed to know that?

"Not me it won't," he quipped before he could stop himself.

She paled and looked away again.

Harry felt like beating his head against the wall. Instead, he got to his feet and went to sit next to her on the sofa.

"I'm sorry, Melanie. I just…" he began but stopped when she flinched away from him.

He was dismayed to see the fear in her eyes as she looked at him.

Harry sighed and tried again.

"That was rude of me, Melanie. I know you just want some honest facts, but I'm afraid I don't really know enough to help you out much," he admitted, and was pleased to see her spine straighten a bit as she regained her usual confidence.

"You've surely slept with women before, did it hurt them?" She asked, pointedly.

His memories of the other women weren't much more than drunken hazes. In the end, he decided that honesty was the best policy.

"I don't think so, but all three times I was pretty drunk. They never complained, but they never tried to get me in bed again so you make what you want to of that. Then again, none of them were virgins, and I've always heard that it's a bit painful for a girl her first time. But I'm not a girl, so I couldn't possibly know for sure," he told her.

"But…"

Harry held up a hand to stop her.

"I'm a guy, it's a lot different for me. Look, if you want to know how things feel, or tips on what you can do to make things better, I'd recommend talking to Hermione. As for what I expect…" he trailed off with a shrug.

"What do you expect?" she asked when it was clear he wasn't going to continue.

He sighed again.

"I expect you to let me know if I do something you don't like," he said, seriously.

She nodded.

"And when I do something you do like," he added with a grin.

She nodded and blushed again.

"And, you'll do the same?" She asked, hesitantly.

"Sure."

She smiled at him and they both visibly relaxed. The awkward conversation was over.

"Thanks Harry," she said, getting to her feet.

"Anytime," he said with a smile.

She paused at the doorway to her room and turned back to face him.

"Do you think it would be okay to talk to Hermione now?" she asked.

"I don't see why not. You can floo her chambers from my room," he said, standing and gesturing for her to precede him.

She quickly entered his room, and tripped over a pair of tennis shoes that were lying in the middle of the floor.

Harry, who had always had quick reflexes, caught her instinctively and helped steady her.

He was about to let go of her when Melanie suddenly cried out and nearly toppled over again.

"It hurts," she said, pointing to her ankle, that Harry could see was already starting to swell.

He picked her up and carried her to his bed.

"I'll get Ra- Oh, I can't get Rachel, she's on her honeymoon."

Melanie watched Harry struggle to think through the problem and rolled her eyes, gasping when her ankle gave a painful twinge.

"Get Hermione," she said, gritting her teeth against the pain.

"Right!"

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Rachel couldn't stop her smile as Charlie scooped her up into his arms to carry her across the threshold. The room was lovely. It looked like on of those muggle hotel suites, only with magic to make it more luxurious.

The room was Dumbledore's wedding present to them; he'd actually made it himself. She was a little disappointed when they decided not to leave Hogwarts for their honeymoon, but with Poppy gone again, Rachel knew that it was best she stayed near should any emergencies happened.

Dumbledore had sworn that they would not be bothered at all during the weekend unless it was a life-or-death situation.

Her earlier conversation with Hermione was floating around in her mind. Part of her wanted to confront Charlie about his non-response, but another part wanted to forget it had happened.

Whether Charlie actually loved her or not remained to be seen. He'd tell her when he was ready, and confronting him now would probably just lead to a big row.

And rows were not conducive to sex. _Well, not usually._ She smirked remembering a particularly wild night with her boyfriend at University.

She looked at Charlie to see him almost shaking with anticipation.

Deciding that any serious relationship talks could wait, and that she should focus on enjoying her honeymoon, she suddenly launched herself at him, claiming his mouth in an aggressive kiss.

The room filled with the sounds of their gasps, moans, and ripping fabric. There was just something so hot about watching her husband physically rip the wedding gown off of her. Luckily, it could easily be repaired with magic.

It seemed like no time at all before Rachel found herself naked on the bed with Charlie pinning her down. He was just as naked as she was and obviously ready to fulfil the terms of the contract.

He took a deep breath to calm himself, not wanting to go too fast.

She tilted her head up for another kiss, savoring the close contact with him.

Charlie broke away from the kiss to run his mouth down her neck and chest, stopping to suckle a nipple.

Rachel moaned and arched her back in ecstasy.

His hands roamed the soft contours of her body, slowly making his way toward her center. He let out a moan when he discovered how ready she was for him.

Charlie had to stop himself and take another deep breath. He deliberately rested his forehead against hers in an effort to get himself under control.

"Gods, Rachel, I don't know how long I can last," he gasped when she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer to her.

"Charlie, we've held out for a month, I think that's long enough," she said, boldly reaching down between them to guide him in.

They groaned in unison as he slowly sank into her, finally joined after a month of 'almost'.

He kissed her again, then started moving. He watched her face as he thrust, and when he found the angle that seemed to cause the most pleasure for her, he held it. His whole body was shaking with the effort of holding back, but he was determined to succeed in pleasuring his new wife.

Just when he thought he could take no more, Rachel suddenly stiffened and cried out his name, tossing her head back and forth.

Relieved, Charlie finally let himself go, and nearly blacked out from the pleasure.

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Hermione stood at her dresser staring into the mirror.

Her face looked thinner and her eyes had dark rings under them. She'd looked this way for the past couple of weeks, but had been using a glamour to hide it.

She was barely pregnant, and already she was having a tough time. Rachel had heard through a couple of colleagues that other witches on the pregnant potion were experiencing extreme symptoms very early in their pregnancies too.

After seeing the effect on Hermione, Rachel had decided to give herself a few weeks to get pregnant on her own before resorting to the potion. Lucky Rachel.

At this particular moment in time, Hermione was green with envy over Rachel's life. She'd got to marry Charlie, who was kind, caring and not at all snarky. She had a great career, a lovely figure, gorgeous blond hair, and she'd probably not even be sick at all when she got pregnant.

Hermione gave a weary sigh and hung her head. Hugging Rachel earlier had made her miss her mother. Hermione already felt like a mother, taking care of the boys, advising and heartening the girls. She didn't mind helping out. In fact she rather enjoyed having everyone lean on her and her knowledge. But that didn't mean she didn't need someone to lean on herself.

Would Severus comfort her if she asked him to? Or would he just roll his eyes and ask, "Is this a pregnancy thing?"

She heard footsteps walking toward the bedroom door and hastily put the glamour back in place.

Severus strolled into the room and met her eyes in the mirror.

"I was planning on going to bed early, unless you require my services tonight?" he asked, dryly.

Hermione felt something snap deep in her heart. She calmly walked over to him and slapped him as hard as she could.

He put a hand to his stinging cheek and stared at her in shock.

"Oh, sorry Severus. It must be a pregnancy thing," she spat and stalked out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

She marched across the sitting room, opened the liqueur cabinet, and poured herself half a glass of brandy before she realized what she was doing.

"Shit," she hissed and threw the glass into the fireplace.

She allowed a grim smile of satisfaction at hearing her husband's favorite crystal wineglass shatter into a thousand pieces.

"Bloody Hell!"

Hermione whirled around to see Harry's head bobbing in the green flames of the fireplace.

"Oh Harry! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you," she gasped out, rushing to the grate and dropping to her knees.

"It's okay, Hermione. You missed, but just barely," he said, picking glass out of his hair.

Hermione grinned at him sheepishly.

"What did you need?"

"Oh, Melanie hurt her ankle. It's not serious enough to hunt Rachel down, but I was hoping you might be able to look at it," he explained.

Hermione felt a flare of indignation at being 'second' to Rachel, but quickly pushed it aside.

"She also wanted to ask you some questions about… you know…"he trailed off.

Hermione could see a pink tinge on his green face.

"Sure Harry, I'll come on through."

Harry helped her step through the fireplace and brush off the soot.

Hermione quickly walked over to Melanie and pulled out her wand.

She cast an anti-swelling charm on the ankle and felt the familiar pleasure of a job well done as the appendage returned to its normal size. Melanie let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Hermione. I'm going to visit Dobby and see if we can get some food. I barely ate at the reception," Harry commented and headed for the door.

"Get some for me to," Melanie called. Harry nodded and left.

Hermione settled herself at the foot of the bed.

"Harry said you might have some questions for me about sex," she said, bluntly.

Melanie smiled, wondering why she hadn't gone straight to Hermione in the first place.

"Does it hurt?" she asked without preamble.

Hermione thought about her experience with Severus the night before.

"Sometime it can be uncomfortable if the guy goes to fast. The key to good sex is taking your time," she said.

Melanie thought that over for a minute.

"But what about the first time? I heard that it always hurts then," she asked, anxiously.

Hermione paled and looked away.

"What is it? Was it really painful your first time?" Melanie asked, curious.

"Yes it was. But that's because I was raped," she whispered, hoarsely.

Melanie gasped.

"Profes- I mean, Hermione, I'm so sorry! I had no idea," she began but Hermione held up a hand to stop her.

"It's okay. That was a long time ago, and … Well, I guess I'll never get over it completely, but I haven't thought about it in a while. After I married Severus, I realized that I enjoy sex a lot. He's never hurt me. And Harry would cut off his other hand before he'd hurt you, Melanie. Just tell him to slow down, or stop and he will. He cares about you, and that's the most important thing about sex."

Melanie remembered how Harry had caught her when she fell and carried her gently to his bed. She remembered the night he'd awoken her from a nightmare, and lay down with her as she slept. And finally, she remembered waking up in the infirmary after being attacked to find that he'd slept in an uncomfortable chair at her side all night.

She smiled at Hermione.

"You're right, he does care about me."

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Melanie's words rang in Hermione's head as she flooed back to her own quarters. How nice it must feel to know that your husband cares about you. She sniffed and walked over to her desk picking up a framed picture of her parents.

They knew nothing of her marriage only that she was teaching. After everything they went through because of her, she couldn't bring herself to burden them with more troubles. They wouldn't be pleased when they discovered she'd gotten married without informing them first. But she'd have to tell them eventually. They'd expect her to at least visit at Christmas, and she'd have a newborn then. Besides, she couldn't deprive them of the Grandchildren she knew they wanted.

Severus would just have to pretend he was in love with her when they were around. If they believed she was happy, they would be happy.

"But I'm not happy Mum. I'm alone and I'm scared," she whispered, as she allowed herself to sink to the floor shaking with sobs.

Severus found her a few minutes later.

She pulled her knees up to her chest, hiding the picture in her lap. She buried her face in her hands and tried her best to stop crying, but she just couldn't.

"Hermione?" he asked, touching her arm, tentatively.

She swatted at him and started sobbing harder.

"Now really, you're acting like a child," he reprimanded as gently as he knew how.

She wanted to yell at him to leave her alone, but her anger just made her sob that much harder, making it impossible to speak. The glint of the metal flame caught by the firelight drew Severus' attention to it. He deftly snatched it from her and took a moment to study it.

It was of her parents, and seeing them again brought back the memory of that awful night. Unconsciously he raised a hand to the scars on his face, and felt a lump form in his throat.

When he first tried to lift her she fought him, but soon she began to cling to him and sob into his chest. Somehow, he managed to get them into bed. She continued to sob into his chest for several minutes while he stroked her back trying to calm her. When at last she had quieted, he summoned her some water to drink, then a warm wash cloth to clean her face.

Hermione was exhausted after all of her crying, and soon fell asleep clinging tightly to her husband. Severus watched her sleep for a while. He knew these sobs had been from a true broken heart and not just a result of pregnancy hormones. He also knew that he was more than likely to blame for them, a thought that made his stomach hurt.

He thought back to their first morning as husband and wife. He had rudely informed her that he would never change for anyone, but now he realized just how much of a lie that was. He had changed the night he saved her. And every day he woke up beside her softened his hard heart just a fraction.

He gave a heavy sigh and looked down at her, surprised to see her eyes open and staring at him.

"Severus, do you care for me?" she asked timidly.

A thousand sarcastic replies popped into his mind and battled to jump to his tongue, but she just looked so vulnerable. She really looked like one harsh word would rip her heart in two.

"Yes."

Then he placed a kiss on her forehead and told her to go to sleep.

End Chapter 11


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Wow, two chapters in one week! Go me! Chapter 13 is started, and I'll do my best to get it finished and sent off to my beta so that it can be posted early next week. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed. (Especially the extra-long one!) Can't wait to hear what ya'll think of this one!

Chapter 12

"Katie?"

She jumped guiltily and quickly stuck the rose Ron had given her back into her desk drawer.

"Hi Ron," she said, hoping that the dim lighting of the library concealed her blush.

"You skipped lunch," he stated without preamble.

Katie looked down and shook her head.

"I wasn't hungry," she mumbled miserably.

He gave her a look.

"And the fact that George was there had nothing to do with it?"

"No! A lot of students decided to study through lunch, so I decided to keep the library open," she said, defensively.

He arched an eyebrow and looked around the deserted room.

She blushed again.

"Well, they are gone now. Most left the school an hour ago for Easter break," she continued.

He nodded and placed a picnic basket he'd been holding on her desk.

"Well, I got Dobby to pack us some food, and thought we could go have a picnic by the lake," he said.

"But haven't you eaten already?"

"Oh, I always have room for more," Ron said, patting his belly.

She gave him a skeptical look, hoping that he wasn't asking her out of pity.

"C'mon, you've barely left the library all week, not even for meals. It's Friday afternoon, the students are gone, let's go have some fun," Ron encouraged with a smile.

"But I have to… Fun? You think it's fun, spending time with me?" she asked, hesitantly.

The smile left his face.

"Um, sure I do. But if you don't want to, that's fine. I mean, I'm probably not the most interesting person…"

"Oh, I don't think that at all," she said quickly, placing her hand over his.

He smiled again.

"Good. Let's go then."

She started walking with him to the door, then stopped.

"Oh, wait! I have to go to Melanie's bachelorette party this evening," she said, frowning.

"Bachelorette?" Ron asked, confused.

Katie nodded.

"When Hermione found out that you guys were taking Harry out to The Three Broomsticks tonight, she said that it was Muggle tradition for the girls to do something for the bride. I don't really know Melanie, but Hermione says she doesn't have that many friends, and as 'victims of the law' we should all stick together and support each other."

"Well, we will be back in plenty of time for that," Ron said, not liking the miserable look on her face as she mentioned the law.

They walked out into the late afternoon sunshine and settled themselves next to the lake under the shade of a tree.

As they munched on the food, Ron regaled Katie with tales of the flying mishaps the students had had since he'd been teaching. She laughed, enjoying the momentary distraction from her depressing thoughts.

As it usually did, the conversation turned to George.

"Has he been any better?" Ron asked cautiously.

The happy sparkle left her eyes and she sighed, shaking her head.

"I had a talk with him, but I guess it didn't do any good," he said heatedly.

She blinked at him in surprise.

"Oh, that must be why he gave me that money the other day," she commented.

Now it was Ron's turn to be surprised.

"He gave you money?"

She nodded.

"He said it was for the wedding. He told me to buy anything I wanted for it, and to let him know if I needed more. George said that as a wedding gift to me, he would let me handle all of the details. Like it was some big treat or something."

Ron shook his head and moaned, embarrassed for his idiot brother.

They were silent for a moment, watching the gentle lapping of the water.

"I am thinking about leaving," she said, suddenly.

Ron's head whipped around to look at her in shock.

"I have an Aunt that lives in America. I haven't heard from her in years, but I thought I might look her up. Maybe she could help me find a job and a place to live," she confessed.

Ron opened and closed his mouth a few times, unsure of what to say.

"I'm miserable here, Ron! The students have no respect for me, working the library is boring, and I am really starting to hate George. Last night, I actually pictured myself marrying Flint instead. At least he wouldn't ignore me," she said, and burst into tears.

Ron pulled her into his arms, and let her cry, starting to hate his brother too.

After a few minutes she pulled back and wiped her eyes.

"Tell my why I should stay here, Ron. Give me one good reason."

Ron did the only thing he could think of.

He kissed her.

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"I'm sick of weddings," Severus complained late that night as he climbed into bed and grabbed his book from the nightstand.

"You've only been to one. It's not like ours could count as a real wedding," Hermione grumbled, brushing out her hair.

The satisfaction she'd received from hosting Melanie's bachelorette party earlier was beginning to wear off.

The party had gone off without a hitch and now Melanie had several naughty pieces of lingerie to chose from for her wedding night. Plus the young woman had made a couple of new friends. She and Katie seemed to get along well, although Katie seemed a bit jumpy and had gotten very defensive when Hermione had asked what she had done that afternoon.

She turned her attention back to her husband, awaiting his response to her statement.

He remained silent.

Hermione sighed in frustration. She'd been trying to goad him into a good fight all week, but he refused to participate. The man was unnerving! For the longest time he refused to let anything go, preferring to spend hours dissecting the situation and pointing out exactly how wrong and misguided she was. But ever since her breakdown last weekend, he had been detached, refusing to argue with her about anything. He had even started answering 'yes, dear,' to her every request of him.

Last week, she'd been hurting, and felt extra sensitive to the things he said to her. However, she quickly began to miss her snarky husband. This polite, but 'detached' Severus just seemed so wrong!

She couldn't even bring herself to initiate sex with him and he had never done it once in their whole marriage. So, for the first time since she'd married him, she'd gone a whole week without sex. The thing that upset her most about it was that he didn't seem to mind at all.

She put the brush down on the dresser and walked over to stand beside him, clearing her throat to get his attention.

He looked up from his book with feigned interest.

"Should I wear my scarlet dress robes to the wedding tomorrow?" she asked, knowing that he hated the color. Also, they would be terribly inappropriate for a spring wedding.

A grimace flittered across his face, but it quickly returned to its normal blankness.

"If that is what you think is best," he answered evenly.

"That is it!" she cried grabbing his book and throwing it across the room. "What the Hell is wrong with you?" she demanded.

He was taken aback by her outburst. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her if this was just another 'pregnancy thing', but he managed to restrain himself.

"I have no idea what you mean," he replied instead.

"Why have you changed? Especially after being so adamant that you never would!"

She hit a nerve and he found that he could no longer suppress the anger he had been holding back all week. He leaped out of the bed to stand in front of her.

"I did not want to change! I hate change! But regardless of what you may believe, I do not take pleasure in making you miserable. I would like nothing more than to go back to the way things were, but I have got this annoying guilt weighing on my mind since last Saturday night, and I do not know how to make it go away!" he yelled his confession.

They were both staring at each other and panting slightly.

Hermione was touched by his words and felt that odd contracting/expanding feeling in her chest again.

"Severus, it wasn't your fault that I broke down like that. Well, not entirely anyway. You have been really considerate this week. It is not that I don't appreciate the gesture, but I want my husband, not a doormat."

He scowled at the analogy, and she giggled.

"There he is," she said triumphantly and stepped forward to kiss him.

He pulled away looking confused.

"Then why were you so upset?"

She looked a bit sheepish.

"Oh, a lot of things were bothering me and I'm sure the hormonal surge I'm going through didn't help," she explained.

He sat on the bed, and gestured for her to sit next to him.

"What was bothering you? Tell me everything," he commanded.

She looked a bit skeptical, but decided to comply. He was making an effort, she should do the same.

"Well, I was jealous of Rachel…"

He gave her an offended look.

"Not because of Charlie! She just seems to be having so much good luck lately. And she's gorgeous and happy… I know I was being petty, but I just couldn't help it."

Hermione sniffed and straightened her spine a little.

"I started missing my parents, who, by the way, have no idea that I'm married and pregnant. But that's a discussion for another time," she said, smiling at his relieved look.

"And there's Melanie and Harry. I think they'll be okay, but lately they've been making me feel more like a marriage counselor than a friend."

"And…"

He held up a hand to stop her.

"You worry about too much. Stick to the things that concern you and let the rest go," he advised.

She looked indignant.

"The things that concern my friends, concern me!"

"That is very Gryffindor of you," he said, dryly.

"Oh, and as a Slytherin you don't worry about anyone but yourself, huh?"

"That is correct."

She frowned.

"No it's not. You have been worrying about me all week. And if you are this upset over my troubles, I can only imagine how worried you'll be about our baby," she said with a smile.

He blanched and she hugged him, resting her head on his chest.

They held each other.

"So, you will tell me the next time you feel overwhelmed?" he asked.

"Yes, if you'll listen."

"Good, I do not want to be slapped again."

She winced and pulled back so that she could see his face.

"I'm really sorry about that," she apologized and leaned forward to place a few kisses on the offended cheek.

He looked down at her with a slight smile.

"That is much more preferable," he said, earning a giggle and more kisses.

As much as he'd tried to hide it, he had really felt the loss of their lovemaking that week. Despite all of Hermione's reassurances to the contrary, he still harbored a fear that his advances would be unwanted. Surely it wouldn't be much longer before the girl came to her senses and kicked him out of her bed.

He sighed with pleasure when she placed one of his hands at her breasts, happy that she felt confident enough to do it. At the same time, he felt irritated that he lacked the confidence to do it himself.

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Rachel used her wand to idly switch a few pictures around in her and Charlie's new chambers. It had been decided that they should reside in the area connected to the infirmary so that Rachel would be more easily accessible for emergencies.

The Headmaster had somehow, greatly extended the size of the living space that had been there before. Now, instead of just two bedrooms and a bathroom, they had one large sitting area, and five doors leading off of it to nice-sized rooms, a master bedroom that had its own bathroom, a guest bedroom, office, and two more bathrooms. It was perfect, really.

She sighed, ignoring the indignant squawk of the lady in a portrait as she levitated it to a different wall.

"What's the deal, dearie? I looked just fine where I was," the lady said with a sniff.

Rachel glared at her.

"Well, I'd tidy up a bit if there was anything to tidy, damn house elves. I'm bored. When I'm bored, things get rearranged," she said.

Charlie probably wouldn't be home for another hour, and while she enjoyed the company of the women earlier at Melanie's party, she wanted her husband.

"Well, go rearrange somewhere else!" the lady in the painting snapped, and walked out of the frame.

Rachel frowned, but decided she had done all she could in this room anyway, and walked into her and Charlie's bedroom.

She was contemplating messing with the colors of the linens, when a photograph on the fireplace mantle caught her eye.

It was a Weasley family portrait.

Rachel felt a pang in her chest as she studied Molly and Arthur. She wondered if they would have approved of her. Her gaze went to Bill, who was very handsome, and then Percy who looked like a nerd. Then there was Charlie, Fred, George, and Ron, all of them looking pretty much the same as they did now, although the picture had been taken at least five years ago. Finally, she looked at Ginny; the youngest sibling and only female child. She was very pretty. Her red hair was striking against her white complexion, and her large brown eyes were warm and friendly.

Rachel stared at her for a long time, feeling something tugging at her memory. Had she met Ginny before? It was possible, but something felt wrong.

She stood deliberating for a minute, then finally put the picture down with a defeated sigh.

It would come to her later.

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Melanie stuffed the last piece of lingerie into the back of her bottom drawer, and shut it with a sigh of relief.

Her face was still on fire at the thought of actually wearing any of that stuff in front of Harry. Perhaps once they were married, and a bit more comfortable with each other, she might be able to. But for her wedding night, she wanted to start out a bit more covered then those negligees would allow.

She picked up her Arithmancy book and walked out into the sitting room to study. Tonight would be her last night a single woman and part of her wanted to talk to Harry and get his thoughts and feelings on things, but he wasn't home yet. She wondered how long it would be before he returned, but decided it didn't matter. There was no way she'd be getting any sleep tonight anyway.

Harry shook her awake an hour later.

"Melanie? What are you doing out here?" he asked, wobbling slightly.

His breath smelled like Rum.

She yawned and stretched, blushing when she noticed his gaze fall to her chest.

"I was studying while I waited on you to get home," she replied, feeling a little dismayed that he was intoxicated.

He sat down on the sofa next to her, allowing his leg to touch hers.

She smiled uneasily at him, and attempted to calm her racing heart.

"We're getting married tomorrow," he said, abruptly.

"Yes," she replied, nodding slowly.

He picked up one of her hands, and began studying it, running his fingers gently over it.

"I hope you like the ring I bought you," he said, again he seemed to be just saying whatever popped into his head.

"I'm sure I will," Melanie told him, trying to decide if she liked Harry this way.

He seemed unguarded, like he'd tell her anything she asked. A very Slytherin part of her wanted to exploit this and ask him some personal questions, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. It just felt wrong to pry information out of him that way.

He held up his fake hand and offered it to her to inspect.

"I only get slight feeling in it, but I can move it pretty well," he said, and Melanie couldn't resist touching it.

It felt slightly cooler than the rest of him, but it was hardly noticeable.

"Its fine, Harry," she said, earning a smile.

He was quiet for a while, just openly staring at her.

When Melanie couldn't stand his scrutiny anymore, she asked, "What are you thinking about?"

He blinked and told her.

"Sex."

Melanie gasped and looked away from him.

She wondered if someone had slipped him some Veritaserum, or if alcohol always had this effect on him.

"Sex, with me?" she asked, hesitantly.

He nodded, and lifted a hand to caress her cheek.

"You're my student, and its felt wrong, thinking about it. But now, it doesn't bother me so much."

"Because you're drunk?" she asked.

He seemed to consider that for a moment.

"I am drunk. But no, I've been thinking about having sex with you for a while. Trying to get used to the idea."

"Well, it's not like we have a choice," she reminded him, feeling very warm.

"No. We don't have a choice, do we?" he asked, running his fingers through her hair.

Melanie held herself completely still, scared he would stop and terrified that he wouldn't.

"Melanie? Can I kiss you?" he asked suddenly.

She looked into his eyes, gasping as she saw how dilated they were.

Did she want him to kiss her?

She remembered the one time he'd kissed her before, and how sweet it had been. Also, it would probably be a good idea to get used to kissing him before the wedding tomorrow when they'd have to do it in front of a rather large audience.

She nodded shyly and closed her eyes.

He missed her mouth the first time and she had to stifle a giggle.

Harry frowned, and held her head in place with his hands the second time. He was right on target that time, but pulled away and looked at her confused after a minute.

"You're not doing it right," he said to her, and she winced.

She knew her face must resemble a tomato by now.

"Well, I've never been kissed before, so you'll have to show me!" she cried, indignantly.

A look of comprehension crossed his face and he leaned forward to try again.

He kissed her, then pulled back just enough to say, "Open your mouth."

He kissed her again and this time she allowed him to slip his tongue inside her mouth.

Melanie sighed in delight at the feel of his tongue caressing hers and felt the tension begin to leave her.

His hands moved down from her face to her shoulders and Melanie wondered if she was supposed to touch him.

Then his hands started moving even lower, and she felt a flicker of panic. Before his hands could reach her breasts, she grabbed his wrists and placed them back on her shoulders.

Breaking the kiss, she sternly said, "No hands."

Harry kept his hands where she placed them, but moved his mouth from her lips, dragging them down toward her chest.

He tried to use his chin to pull the neckline of her shirt out enough to kiss the skin underneath it, but in his current state it was impossible.

He looked at her pitifully.

"I need my hands," he whined.

A wave of sympathy caught her unaware as she remembered his fake hand. It seemed cruel to deny him the use of it, even for something as insignificant as this. Then again, he probably wouldn't remember much of this in the morning anyway.

There was a freedom in that thought. She could do anything she wanted, then deny she did it later.

She smiled, mind made up, and carefully pushed away from him so she could stand up.

"Where're you goin'?" he slurred, blinking in confusion.

She didn't say anything.

"Come back. No hands, I promise," he begged.

She smirked at him and then surprised them both by suddenly straddling his lap.

"You can use your hands, but our clothes stay on," she said, firmly.

He nodded, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into another kiss.

Melanie forced herself to relax into his embrace, and just enjoy the sensation of his hands running all over her.

He started out by stroking her sides and back. Then he ran his hands up her arms to caress her shoulders. He moved his mouth from hers and trailed kisses down her neck.

Melanie let out soft sighs of pleasure, basking in the attention. No one had ever kissed and touched her like this before.

His hands crept under the hem of her shirt, and stilled on her belly. His jewel-green eyes sought hers, asking for permission.

Taking a deep breath, Melanie nodded, and nearly cried out loud as his hands eagerly grasped her breasts through her bra.

He claimed her mouth again as his hands caressed and kneaded her covered breasts.

She had been afraid that she'd be too small for his taste, but she seemed to fit in his hands perfectly. She could also feel the evidence that he was enjoying himself poking into her belly.

She gasped when he pinched a nipple, sending a shock of pleasure to her core.

Melanie allowed it to continue for a few more minutes, then reluctantly pushed away from him.

Harry was upset, acting like a child who had his favorite toy taken away.

"Harry, you're drunk! I promise that tomorrow night we can finish this. I want you sober for it though," she chided.

He gave her a thoughtful frown.

"I've never done it sober," he admitted.

She crossed her arms across her chest and glared down at him.

"Well, from now on, you will."

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"I kissed Katie today," Ron drunkenly blurted out to George as they staggered back to the castle after Harry's party.

He had convinced George to hang back so that they could discuss things.

At first George looked angry at his statement, then his shoulders slumped and he sat down on the ground.

"Why? Why would you kiss her? She's supposed to marry me!" George demanded.

Ron was surprised to see tears in his brother's eyes.

"She's miserable, mate! You have been treating her badly and you know it. We've talked about this before."

George hung his head, not even bothering to deny any of it.

"I really care about her," Ron continued, "And the more time I spend with her the more I like her. I only wish that it had been me that offered for her and not you."

George looked up at his brother with the most sorrowful expression he'd ever seen. It made Ron shudder. George and Fred were the happiest most carefree people he knew. It seemed so wrong to see George so obviously miserable.

"But I love her."

Silence greeted George's odd proclamation.

"What? You don't… I mean… You're drunk, you don't know what you're saying," Ron said finally.

George glared at him and got to his feet again.

"I'm not that drunk! I love Katie Bell! I've been in love with her since my third year," he yelled.

Ron blinked.

"If that is true, then why do you treat her like dragon dung?" he demanded.

George wrinkled his nose, and then looked down with a sigh.

"I asked Katie out in my fourth year. She turned me down. Said she wasn't ready to date yet. Do you have any idea what that kind of rejection felt like? I was so upset, and that just made Fred angry at her. I tried to move on, but she was all I could think about. Then we left school, and she's been the farthest thing from my mind for the last seven years. I mean, occasionally I'd wonder what had become of her, but I really never gave her much thought. Then out of the blue, there she is again, needing a husband. It was like a dream come true, only now it's more like a nightmare."

"Why? Why haven't you told her how you felt? Why do you keep ignoring her?" Ron asked.

"She hurt me. I don't want to give her the chance to do that again," he stated bluntly.

"So? Hasn't she suffered enough? You were both kids then, it's different now. She won't reject you now," Ron pointed out.

"No, she can't reject me now," George corrected.

Ron sighed, fed up with his brother's attitude.

"Well, you are just going to have to change. Start treating her right, George, I mean it. If you won't, I will. Even if she's married to you."

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Rachel gasped and sat up in bed, her eyes flying to the fireplace mantle. She couldn't see the picture in the dark, but she knew it was there.

Charlie stirred and sat up beside her, placing a comforting hand on her bare back.

"Nightmare?" he asked, sleepily.

"No, it's just… Your sister, Ginny. I was looking at her picture earlier. I knew I'd seen her before, but I couldn't remember where. Now I do," she said, breathlessly.

"What are you saying?" Charlie asked, waking up more at her words.

"I saw her, Charlie. After the final battle. She was at St. Mungo's! Charlie, she's alive! I know she is!"

End Chapter 12

A/N: DUH, DUH, DUUUUUUH!

He he! The fun is just beginning. I can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts about the new developments. I have not yet decided how I'm going to resolve the Ron-Katie-George thing, so any input would be nice.

Promo: Is Ginny really alive? Will Ron continue to woo Katie despite George's feelings? Where are Melanie and Harry going for their honeymoon? What has Draco Malfoy been up to? –Stay tuned!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I'm sorry, I don't purposely delay posting. Sometimes, it just takes that long to get a chapter ready. In fact, I've decided that this is the last story I will post that isn't completely finished first. I think everyone will be much happier that way. Anyway, chapter 14 is being e-mailed to my beta, today. Usually that means 2 to 3 days before I can post, however, my beta has her own life to deal with, and sometimes it just takes longer. This chapter took me a week and half to write because my work load has increased drastically. I'll continue to do my best, but it isn't always easy, and sometimes you just have to wait.

Chapter 13

"No, Ginny never made it to St. Mungo's, Rachel. She disintegrated during that final curse. Harry tried to save her. He wouldn't let go of her hand, that's how he lost his," Charlie explained carefully.

Rachel ignored him.

"We didn't know who brought her in. She was in a coma for a week, before she woke; she had no idea who she was or where she was. I remember a colleague discussing the case with me. It was odd because there was no trace of any curse or spell damage on her, and yet there was something clearly wrong. I remember feeling sorry for her, and puzzling over her condition, but I never saw her again after that day. I had so many other cases to deal with, I didn't really think of her again for at least a couple of weeks. When I finally asked my colleague how she was doing, he said that they were unable to help her, and that a family member had claimed her and taken her home. I guess I was satisfied that she'd be taken care of, so I let it go."

"Rachel! It couldn't have been Ginny. She's dead!" Charlie cried, feeling the old wounds begin to reopen in his heart.

"She's dead," he repeated in a whisper feeling a tear slip from his eye.

Rachel wrapped her arms around him and held him close while he cried. She was starting to doubt herself. The girl she had seen looked a lot like Ginny, but it had been over five years ago. It was possible that Rachel was mistaken.

She winced and tightened her arms around her sobbing mess of a husband.

He and his family had been through so much. If they started investigating, only to discover that Ginny was really and truly dead, it would only cause them even more grief. No, if Ginny was alive, Rachel would have to find her without Charlie's assistance. Maybe Hermione would help her.

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"And what did you do yesterday?" Draco Malfoy, sole heir to the Malfoy fortune asked his breakfast companion.

"Yesterday?" Brown eyes blinked at him in confusion.

He resisted the urge to sigh in frustration, again wondering what had possessed him to undertake such a project.

"Yes Darling. Think hard now. What did you do yesterday?" he said as calmly as possible.

Her pale face scrunched up in concentration.

"Horses, I think. I think I went to the stables," she said finally.

Draco couldn't stop the sigh this time.

"No, dear. It rained, you spent the day in the library reading. Can you remember that?"

She flinched at his tone, though it hadn't been very sharp.

Giving him a frown, she tried again to recall the previous day's activities. The only thing that popped up in her head was a pretty brown horse with a white diamond on its forehead.

"A horse. I remember a horse…" she stopped talking and looked down at her plate when he glared at her.

An uncomfortable silence followed.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to forget…" she broke off with a sob, and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Stop that! Stop crying. There's no reason for it," he demanded.

She nodded and took a couple of deep breaths.

"The healers tell me that you are getting better, but I see no evidence of it," he gave a disdainful sniff.

"But I am getting better! I recognize the house and you… Are you sure I didn't see any horses yesterday?"

He slammed a fist onto the table.

"Will you give up on the sodden horses? I told you it rained all day yesterday. You stayed inside. Besides, we don't even have muggle horses in the stables!"

They glared at each other.

"You recognize me, huh? Who am I then?" he asked with a sneer.

She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

"My husband?"

"Is that a question or an answer?"

"You are my husband," she stated firmly.

"And my name is?"

She thought for a moment, then shook her head helplessly.

He rolled his eyes.

"Draco Malfoy," he said slowly.

She shrugged as if she didn't care and then turned to look out the window.

Draco resumed eating, silently preparing himself for the inevitable question that always followed when he'd remind her of his name.

"Draco?"

He swallowed the food in his mouth, then slowly raised his gaze to hers.

"Who am I?"

His eyes traveled over her, taking in the expensive violet dressing gown, smooth white skin, and chocolate brown eyes. The sun streaming through the tall dinning room windows accentuated the blazing red hair that rained down her back like a river of fire.

For all his complaints and frustrations about her, he had to admit she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on. This was why he took her in. He waited patiently for the day she would remember everything. He only hoped that when or if she did, she wouldn't hate him.

"I can't tell you that. You have to remember on your own."

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"Rise and shine, Harry!" Ron called happily and started jumping on his friend's bed.

"What the…" Harry mumbled as he sat up and reached for his wand on the nightstand table.

It wasn't there. His glasses were though, and the first thing he saw when he put them on was Hermione twirling his wand in her hand.

"Sorry, Harry. We didn't want to take any chances," she said, tossing him the wand.

He was about to argue and lecture them on the dangerous of surprising an ex-Auror, when it suddenly occurred to him what day it was.

"Holy shit, I'm getting married today!"

Ron laughed and Hermione tutted.

"Really, is there a need for such language?" she scolded, but couldn't stop her grin.

"C'mon, Hermione! The bloke's only got a few hours of freedom left," Ron protested.

"Oh, all right, but don't say anything like that in front of the children," she said, placing a hand on her belly, distractedly.

Both Harry and Ron froze.

"Hermione? Is there something you want to tell us?" Ron asked, looking pointedly at her mid-section.

She blushed and dropped her hand.

"Well, I suppose it's okay to tell you guys. I'm pregnant!" She cried with a grin.

Harry and Ron gave her weak smiles.

"That's great, Hermione," Harry said.

Ron nodded, but looked a little green.

"What?" she asked, not understanding why they weren't sharing in her excitement.

"It's nothing Herm-" Harry began, but Ron interrupted him.

"It's Snape's spawn Hermione. We're still trying to get used to the idea of you being married to him. And now you're carrying his child…"

"It's just weird. But we'll get used to it," Harry finished for him.

Her hands balled into fists.

"It's my child too," she said through clenched teeth.

Ron and Harry looked at each other and then nodded as if they'd had some kind of telepathic conversation.

"Are you happy about it?" Harry asked, catching her off guard.

Hermione had to stop and think for a moment. Was she happy about having a baby?

Being an only child, Hermione hadn't had much experience with babies. She knew that they were a lot of work and responsibility, two things Hermione never shied away from. She hadn't really allowed herself to dwell on the reality of her situation.

She was pregnant. In less than eight months she would be bringing a new life into the world.

She smiled and nodded.

"You know me, I'm always happy about a new challenge."

Harry gave her a skeptical look, but Hermione shook her head at him.

"Enough about me, today is all about you, Harry. Well, Melanie really, but… Oh, you know what I mean," she said.

Dobby the house elf suddenly appeared with a loud crack.

"Is Harry Potter ready for breakfast?" the little elf asked eagerly.

"Yes, Dobby," Hermione answered and Dobby disappeared again.

"We're not going to the Great Hall?" Harry asked as Dobby reappeared with a small table and three chairs. A snap of his long fingers and a breakfast feast nearly too large for the small table, appeared.

"Nope, we can't risk you seeing Melanie. It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding," Hermione said settling herself in a chair and wondering what she wanted to eat first.

"She's right. Besides, you're going to be surrounded by people all day long, we thought a quiet breakfast with just the three of us would be a nice way to start the day," Ron said quickly joining Hermione at the table.

"Can Dobby get Harry Potter anything else?" the elf asked, hopefully.

Harry blinked, still not completely awake yet, and shook his head.

"No Dobby, I think we're… What's that you're wearing?" Harry asked, pointing to a piece of paper that was pinned to Dobby's hat.

Dobby grinned.

"It's my invitation to Harry Potter's wedding," he said beaming.

"Why are you wearing it?" Hermione asked.

"Dobby doesn't want to lose it, Professor. All the other elves treat Dobby like a celebrity, 'cause Dobby is Harry Potter's friend," he explained.

"That's great, Dobby. Thanks for breakfast," Harry said.

Dobby bowed and disappeared again.

"Hmm, that's odd," Harry commented taking a seat at the table.

"What?" Ron asked around a mouthful of food.

Hermione made a face at him.

"I didn't send Dobby an invitation. I mean, I didn't personally exclude him or anything. Mrs. Walsh had me make a list of people I wanted her to send an invitation to. I'm sorry to say that Dobby never even crossed my mind," Harry admitted.

"Well, then Melanie must have invited him," Hermione pointed out.

Harry wasn't even aware that Melanie knew Dobby. He shrugged and joined Ron in making faces with a mouth full of food while Hermione tutted and tried not to laugh at them.

Yes, his friend's had definitely given him an enjoyable morning to what would prove to be a very trying day.

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Melanie emerged from her bathroom to find her bedroom crowded with arguing women.

"Don't be ridiculous! Melanie is a virgin, she shouldn't wear that for her first time," Katie was saying heatedly to Genelle, who was holding the most risqué piece of lingerie Melanie had received.

"And Harry is still a little uncomfortable about the whole student/teacher thing. Seeing her in something like that so soon might scare him away," Hermione pointed out.

"Oh, it won't scare him away! I bet it would be just the thing to get him to look past the fact that she is his student," Mrs. Walsh countered.

"What are you doing in my underwear drawer?" Melanie demanded, pulling the skimpy piece of satin out of Genelle's hands and stuffing it back in the drawer.

"Is my baby ready for her wedding?" Theresa asked, completely ignoring her daughter's question and smoothing Melanie's damp, dark tresses fondly.

"We're here to help you get ready," Genelle said, with a smile.

"Great! I need someone to…" she broke off at a tapping sound coming from her window.

Katie, who was closest, opened it and allowed an owl to fly into the room.

They were all surprised to see it head for Hermione and drop the letter on her head.

"Oh, what's this?" she asked, opening the envelope.

As she scanned the letter a look dawning horror emerged on her face.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Katie asked.

"What? Oh, I'm fine. I need to go. I'll see you all at the wedding," she said distractedly and walked from the room.

If she hadn't been so preoccupied she might have noticed the menacing crouched figure trying to hide in the shadows of the sitting room.

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Katie walked out of Melanie's room and would have spotted the intruder in the sitting room, if she hadn't seen the flash of red hair disappearing into Harry's room.

Curious, she moved closer to listen.

"Is he ready?" George asked Ron stepping into Harry's bedroom.

"He's in the shower," Ron offered.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"Did you need me to tell him something for you George?" Ron asked.

George shook his head.

"No, I actually came to find you."

"Well, you found me. What do you want?"

George looked at him appraisingly for a moment.

"I need help," he said, finally.

Ron sighed, having a pretty good idea what his brother was about to ask.

"Help with what?" he asked anyway,

"Katie. I don't know what to do. I'm afraid I may have messed things up too badly to fix. I don't know where to start," George confessed and went to sit on Harry's bed.

Katie put a hand to her mouth and desperately tried to hold back the tears. She had suspected that George was seeking a way to get out of marrying her, but to hear him ask Ron for help was humiliating!

"And what makes you think I can be of any help to you?" Ron snapped.

"She likes you Ron! I was hoping…"

"Only because I was nice to her! I've shown her attention, while you've ignored her. Of course she likes me," Ron interrupted angrily.

George glared at him.

"I'd let her go, you know. If her marrying you was an option, I'd just step aside…"

Katie couldn't listen anymore. Hand firmly pressed against her mouth, she fled to her room.

"But, you said that you are in love with her," Ron protested.

"I am. I love her, and I want her to be happy. The more time that passes, the more I see that she'd be much happier with you!" George yelled.

Ron was speechless.

"I don't deserve her! And after the way I've treated her, she'll never give me another chance," George moaned, dropping his head in his hands.

"You would give up the one woman you truly love, just so that she could be happy?" Ron asked.

George looked back up at him.

"Of course. Wouldn't you?"

Ron shook his head.

"Then you don't really love her."

Ron sighed again and placed a hand on George's shoulder.

"Well, my marrying her isn't an option. I do like Katie a lot, but you are my brother. I want you to be happy, George. So, yes. I'll help you try and win Katie's heart," Ron said.

Harry walked out of the bathroom just in time to see George pounce on Ron in a bear hug that knocked them both to the floor.

"Did I miss something?"

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"Are you ready to… What is it?" Severus asked in concern.

Hermione was sitting in a chair by the fire reading a letter, that was clearly distressing her.

"Who is it from?" he asked when she raised her pain-filled gaze to his.

"Mum and Dad. They want me to come home for Easter."

"So? What's wrong with that?" he asked.

"I told you! They know nothing of the law. How are they going to react when they find out that I'm married and pregnant?" She demanded.

He shrugged.

"You won't know until you tell them. And I think you should tell them. It will scratch one more worry off of your infinite list."

She sighed and glanced back at the letter.

"All right. I'll go, and tell them everything. But it would probably be best if you didn't come with me," she said, finally.

"Why not?" he asked, secretly relieved.

"Because you're scary."

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Draco looked up from his newspaper at the chiming of the clock. It was two o'clock. In two hours, Potter would be married and no longer a concern of his.

It would be a welcome relief. He could finally take Ginny out of hiding. Perhaps seeing Hogwarts and her brothers again would help her regain her memory.

Draco sighed and turned to watch the dying flames in the library's fireplace.

They would be furious with him at first. But what could they do? He was legally married to Ginevra Weasley-Malfoy, and they'd just have to accept it. He glanced at the gold band around his finger. He'd been her husband for a whole week now. They'd gotten married in Paris to get around the law. Normally evading a law like that would get someone sent to Azkaban, but all he'd had to do was make a little donation to the Ministry. Well, little by the Malfoy standard anyway.

But he'd kept Ginny from her family for too long. With each passing month, it became clearer to him that the daily mental exercises and potions were not helping her. Every morning, she awoke with no memory at all. He spent every morning explaining to her that she had lost her memory and he was trying to help her regain it. The very idea was always devastating to her.

Although as time passed she seemed to accept her situation a lot easier. At first she would spend most of the day depressed and scared. Now when he would tell her that she had lost her memory, she'd think it over for a minute, then nod as if that made sense to her.

The healers had told him she would gradually get better, but at the rate she was going now, he'd be fifty before she'd remember his name longer than a day.

Draco looked back at his newspaper and sneered at yet another article singing the praises of the Marriage Law. It was because of that stupid law that things had been so difficult for him.

First, he'd been forced to submit a contract of his own. With his money and reputation he knew that there would be very few witches that would turn him down, despite his father being a Death Eater. So he'd picked the one he'd known would. Hermione Granger.

He smirked. She'd ended up married to Snape just to avoid him. He'd found the whole thing rather amusing.

The pressure to submit another one had been so strong, that he'd finally just taken Ginny to Paris and married her. Now with his monthly 'donations' to the ministry, they were finally leaving him in peace again.

He was worried about tomorrow. He intended to take Ginny to Hogwarts then. Potter would be off on his honeymoon, but her brothers would be there. Perhaps seeing them and the school would help fix whatever was wrong with her brain. But if she did regain her memory, would she hate him?

He threw the paper down and got to his feet.

"Honey?" he called, and a split-second later a house-elf appeared.

"Yes Master?" the quivering elf asked.

"What is Gin- uh, your Mistress doing?" he asked.

"Mistress is sleeping, Sir. She was tired from the memory exercises."

"She is taking all of her potions?" he questioned.

"Yes, Sir," Honey squeaked.

"Good, good. Be sure that's she up for dinner at five thirty. We'll be dinning with another neuro-magic specialist," he informed her.

"Another specialist, Master?"

Draco glared at the elf for her boldness and she cowered in fear.

He sighed, not in the mood to bully. He walked over to a window and stared out across the property.

"What else can I do but keep trying?" he asked, hating the desperation he heard in his own voice.

"I believe that Mistress is happy here with you. Perhaps you should let her be. Give her the chance to heal on her own," Honey suggested, tentatively.

"It's been five years! She's not going to 'heal on her own'! If she knew…" he whirled around to face the now-shaking elf.

"If she realized what had become of herself she'd expect me to do everything in my power to bring her back!"

He started pacing, and nearly tripped over a book that had been left lying in the floor.

"What's this?" he demanded, angry at having the elf witness his clumsy moment.

"It's the book Mistress was reading yesterday, Sir."

Draco's eyes widened with shock as he stared at the cover. A beautiful brown horse with a white diamond on its forehead stared back at him.

_Are you sure I didn't see any horses yesterday?_

Yes, she had. She remembered.

He nearly knocked the elf down as he ran for the stairs.

"Cancel the specialist!" He yelled over his shoulder.

Draco now knew without a doubt that bringing Ginny to Hogwarts would restore her memory. After that, things were going to change.

They would leave first thing in the morning, but Draco would spend tonight making love to his wife. It could very well be the last time he got the chance.

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Melanie stepped out of her room sighing with relief when she found the sitting room empty. She was still in a bathrobe, though her hair and make-up had already been charmed to perfection.

She wanted to wait until the last minute to put on her gown and she'd needed to get away from her over-bearing mother and well-meaning friends.

Sinking into the sofa, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

Suddenly, a hand clamped over her mouth, and everything went dark.

End Chapter 13


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 

The Great Hall looked more like it was set up for a play than a wedding. There would be so many wedding guests, that Harry and Melanie would have to take their vows on a platform so that everyone could see. Cameras were already being set up to capture the moment. The decorations were mostly white and cream, with small traces of pastel pinks, yellows, and purples dotted throughout. Professor Flitwick had enchanted cream-colored roses-without the stems- to float throughout the large hall.

The soft fragrance of roses and the gentle playing of an unseen enchanted orchestra added to the elegant ambience of the Hall. The tall windows had been covered so that the only light came from the thousands of white candles that covered the windowsills and floated among the roses that hovered over the wedding platform.

Even though the sun was still up and would be for a few more hours, the ceiling had been enchanted to look like a clear night sky with dozens of stars and a half-moon. Harry had requested a half-moon rather than a full moon, as Remus Lupin would be in attendance and he didn't want to worry about accidental effects it might have on the werewolf.

In thirty minutes the guests would begin filing into the almost one thousands seats to witness what was already being dubbed as the Wizarding Event of the Year.

After the ceremony, four hundred or so 'special' guests would be invited to attend a Grand Reception, which would take place in the Room of Requirement. After an incredible feast and the traditional cutting of the cake, fifty guests (friends and family only) would be invited to Quidditch Pitch for games and dancing. A firework show compliments of Weasley Wizarding Wheezes would end the spectacular evening.

Everything was ready and perfect. Except for one tiny detail… no one could find the bride.

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"Severus and I have been through the dungeons three times already. She is not there," Hermione insisted to a frantic Mrs. Walsh

"Well, it's dark down there, dear, maybe you overlooked her," the mother of the bride suggested, hopefully.

Hermione opened her mouth then shut it again and shook her head. There was no sense in arguing.

"I think you're wasting your time searching," Katie commented as she lightly stroked Melanie's gown.

The other women turned to look at her in shock.

"Oh come on! I know you are all thinking the same thing. She ran. And good for her. Maybe if more of us stand up to this stupid law, it will get repealed," she continued, bitterly.

Genelle launched herself at Katie.

"Melanie wouldn't do that!" she screamed, and began pulling at the other girl's hair.

"Stop it!" Hermione yelled, stunning Genelle.

She helped Katie back up to her feet.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Katie answered, warily backing away from Genelle's unconscious form.

When Katie was safely hiding behind Mrs. Walsh and Rachel, Hermione spelled Genelle awake again.

"You will keep your temper in check, young lady," Hermione said sternly.

"Yes, Professor," Genelle said, glaring at Katie.

Hermione sighed again and turned to Katie and Melanie's mother.

"I think Genelle is right," she said, earning a surprised look from everyone.

Katie opened her mouth to argue, but Hermione held up a hand to stop her.

"The law has brought quite a few matches that would inspire most girls to flee. But Harry and Melanie have been getting along. She is important to him and she knows this. Melanie would not run," she explained.

Everyone looked at Katie.

"Okay, fine. Say she didn't run. Where is she then?"

Genelle gasped.

"The Slytherin students that attacked her when they first found out about her engagement to Professor Potter! They probably kidnapped her," the young girl wailed.

"If they finished what they started last time, she'll end up barren and unable to marry Harry," Rachel, who'd been quietly watching the proceedings suddenly spoke up.

The color drained from Hermione's face and she quickly turned toward the door.

"Are you going to get Professor Snape?" Genelle asked, hopefully.

"No, Severus wasn't very helpful last time, I doubt he'll be much help this time either," Hermione said gravely.

"But he's scary. They'll listen to him," Genelle insisted with a pout.

"Oh, I can think of someone even scarier," Hermione called over her shoulder and left the room.

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Melanie slowly opened her heavy eyes and started in fear. Everything was pitch black, and for a moment she thought she had gone blind. Then, her eyes began to adjust to the darkness and she could make out a few shelves with cleaning supplies on them.

She couldn't move her arms or legs, and something had been stuffed in her mouth. She tried to spit it out, but couldn't. Breathing deeply through her nose, she attempted to push back the panic and take stock of her situation.

It didn't take long to deduce that she was tied to a chair in a broom closet. How long had she been out? Had they called off the wedding? Did they think she had run? Was anyone even looking for her?

She felt hot tears begin trailing down her cheeks and it became even harder to breathe.

The door was suddenly thrown open, and a shadowy figure stepped into the closet, shutting the door behind them.

The gag was ripped out of her mouth and she began coughing.

When she could breathe normally again, Melanie felt the edge of a goblet pressed to her lips.

"Drink!" a voice that had been distorted by magic commanded her.

Melanie sealed her lips tight and shook her head causing the liquid in the goblet to splash onto her bathrobe.

"Ew! Damn it, Walsh! Drink the potion," the voice said again.

Melanie now knew exactly who it was who had her and a little bit of her fear was replaced with anger.

"What's wrong Janet? Are upset that you didn't get an invitation?" she provoked, boldly.

Janet Odom pressed the goblet harder to Melanie's lips.

"So you know who I am, big deal. I'll be damned if I let Harry Potter marry a snotty little pureblood like you!" She growled in her own voice now.

Melanie furiously shook her head again, managing to spill even more of the potion onto Janet's robes.

"You think that some potion is going to keep Harry from marrying me?" she demanded, trying to stall the other girl in the hopes that someone would find her.

Janet snorted.

"He won't have a choice. This potion will make you barren, therefore you'll be ineligible to marry," the crazed girl explained, grinning cruelly.

Melanie did her best to push back the panic.

"So? He still can't marry you. You aren't a pureblood," she reminded her.

"All I have to do is make sure he stays single until this stupid law is repealed, then we'll be free to marry," Janet declared.

"It won't matter, Janet. He'll never marry you! He cares about me too much," Melanie said confidently.

Janet snorted.

"Is that what he told you? Poor naïve Melanie, you should know that a man would say anything to get in your pants. Although why he'd want a skinny little nobody like you is beyond me," Janet commented.

Melanie was about to reply when Janet suddenly pulled out her wand.

"If you won't drink the potion, then I'll just have to make you," she sneered.

"_Imperio_!"

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Harry sat studying the ring he'd got for Melanie. A silver, diamond encrusted Claddaugh. Melanie's mother had picked it out for him, but Harry didn't mind. He didn't know the first thing about picking rings and had actually been grateful for his soon to be mother-in-law's insistence.

A knock at the door startled him and he looked at the clock. He hadn't been expecting Ron to come for him for another twenty minutes. Even before he opened the door, he knew something was wrong.

His eyes widened when he saw Hermione standing on the other side.

"Hermione! Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

She blinked, confused at his question.

"Yes, why?" she asked, momentarily forgetting her reason for coming to him.

Harry frowned at her. Her face was much too pale and she had dark circles under her bloodshot eyes.

She raised a hand to her face and pushed past him to find a mirror.

"Damn it! This stupid glamour barely lasted an hour. It's like my spells are growing weaker," she mumbled.

"What is going on?" Harry demanded.

"Oh, don't worry about it Harry. It's just a pregnancy thing," she said shrugging and whipping out her wand to re-do the glamour.

She was instantly back to her pretty self and turned to him with a smile.

"Promise me you'll get some rest this week?" he asked.

The smile left her face and she nodded in agreement.

"I'm going home tomorrow for Easter dinner with my parents, but I promise to get lots of rest this week while the students are on break," she reassured him.

He nodded and sighed.

"Melanie will probably spend most of our honeymoon studying for NEWTs," Harry commented and Hermione gasped.

"Oh! Melanie! I forgot! That's why I came here. Harry, she's missing," she exclaimed.

This time Harry was the one blinking in confusion.

"Missing?"

"Yeah. A couple of hours ago she stepped out of the room to get some air and she never came back. We've searched the whole the castle. Harry, I think those students that attacked Melanie last time might be responsible," she said.

"Impossible. They all left yesterday for Easter break. I made sure that none of them would be around Hogwarts today," he informed her as he quickly strode to his desk and started rummaging through a drawer.

He gave her a triumphant grin as he held up an old-yellowed piece of parchment.

"Is that… the map!" Hermione cried in delight. "I'd completely forgotten about it," she admitted.

"I gave it to Dobby for safe keeping when we left school. He gave it back to me my first night here," Harry explained, opening the parchment.

"I solemnly swear, that I am up to no good," he declared touching his wand to the sheet.

The map slowly came to life, and he and Hermione began quickly scanning for Melanie's name.

"There she is. It looks like a broom closet on the sixth floor," Harry said, confused.

"And look, Janet Odom is with her. She's a seventh year Gryffindor, Harry. I'm sure Melanie is fine," Hermione pointed out.

"Let's go," Harry said taking off in a run.

Hermione calmly walked after him, not even bothering to hurry in her condition. Melanie was with Janet, surely she was safe?

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Melanie resisted Janet's _Imperius_ curse with every fiber of her being. Luckily for her, Janet's spell casting ability had always left something to be desired. Even so, twenty minutes of resisting and she was beginning to grow very weary.

Just when Melanie thought she couldn't take it anymore, the door to the broom closet flew open. Harry's eyes took in Janet with her wand pointed at Melanie.

Later, Melanie would swear that those beautiful green eyes of his had almost turned red in fury as he disarmed Janet and sent her flying into the wall. A loud crack sounded when Janet hit the wall, telling Melanie that something had broken.

Harry didn't spare a glance at the unconscious girl as he walked to Melanie.

He held out his hands, eyes glowing eerily in the dark room. Without a word or wand, the ropes binding Melanie to the chair fell away. She let out a gasp as an unseen force picked her up and flew her into Harry's arms.

Harry sat down on the floor, holding her tightly in his arms. He buried his face in her neck, mumbling something that she couldn't make out.

"Harry, what-" she broke off with a gasp as Harry's hand suddenly slipped into her robe and took hold of a breast.

She held herself very still, resisting the urge to pull away. Harry was acting a little out of control and it scared her. For the first time, she had actually witnessed her soon to be husband's legendary power.

Pushing back her fear, she slowly lifted her arms to circle around his back. When he didn't move or say anything, she hugged him harder, pulling him closer, and arching her back so that her breast was pressed more firmly into his hand.

He lifted his head to look at her, eyes unfocused.

"Harry?" she whispered and he blinked.

She tilted her head and touched her lips to his. He followed when she pulled away, and deepened the kiss. His tongue slipped into her mouth, and she let out a moan as the hand on her breast began moving in a gentle caress.

"Harry, are you back?" Melanie asked, firmly pulling away from the kiss.

His eyes filled with tears as he looked at her.

"I'm sorry, Melanie. I failed you. I promised to protect you, but I didn't," he whispered hoarsely.

"Yes you did. You got to me in time, that is what matters," she reassured him.

Harry was quiet for a minute, allowing her words to sink in.

"But then I scared you. I'm still scaring you, I can sense your fear," he said sorrowfully.

Melanie took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

"You are a very powerful wizard, Harry. I knew that, but I'd never seen it first hand before. You seemed a bit out of control, and yes, that scared me."

"I'd never hurt you," he swore.

She smiled at him.

"I know."

Janet moaned, and they looked over at her, having forgotten that she was even there.

"The wedding is supposed to start in ten minutes," Harry said.

Melanie nodded.

"You take care of her, and I'll finish getting dressed."

He nodded, but neither of them moved.

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"You have to let go now," she said, feeling her cheeks heat.

It took Harry a minute to realize what she meant. He grinned into the darkness and gave her breast one last squeeze before pulling his hand away and helping her stand.

Melanie made a beeline for the door, but he stopped her and pulled her into another kiss.

"Tonight, I won't have to," he said when the kiss ended.

"Hmm?" Melanie had lost herself in his kiss and wasn't sure what they'd been talking about.

"I said, tonight, I won't have to let you go," he reminded her laughter in his voice.

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With everyone helping her, Melanie was only five minutes late. Katie followed the others into the Great Hall, and hesitated as she looked over the seats. There was an empty one by George, probably where she was expected to sit, but seeing him again only reminded her of the hurt she'd pushed aside to help Melanie. She really didn't want to face him just yet.

Hermione saw her hesitation, brown eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Come sit with me, Katie. There are always empty chairs near Severus," she whispered with a smile.

Katie gave her a relieved look and the two quickly made their way to Professor Snape.

She saw him look over at George then back at Hermione in question. His wife merely shook her head and gestured for him to scoot down a seat, much to the alarm of one of Melanie's cousins, so that she and Katie could sit beside each other.

They had barely sat down before the wedding march began.

Katie watched the wedding with detachment.

She knew that Harry and Melanie's joining was just another result of the law, but even she had to admit that they looked happy.

_She is important to him._

Hermione's words from earlier rang through her mind as she watched Mr. Walsh hand his daughter over the Savior of the Wizarding World.

Katie heard Hermione sniffle and turned to see Snape roll his eyes.

There! There was a couple who was not benefiting from this stupid law! They were miserable together. They hated…

Snape pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Hermione, who clasped his hand in hers. She hid their joined hands in the folds of her robes so that you couldn't tell they were holding hands. Then both relaxed back into their chairs with slight smiles on the faces.

Okay, maybe she was wrong about them. But surely there was someone…

Her gaze fell on Rachel and Charlie, who were seated in front of her.

The now oldest Weasley brother had his arm resting against the back of his wife's chair. While Katie watched them, Rachel leaned over and whispered something in Charlie's ear. They looked at each other with a smile, and then Charlie brushed his lips against hers before they turned their attention back to the ceremony.

No, it looked like Katie was alone in her unhappiness.

As the ceremony progressed, the actions of the three couples made her long even more for someone who wanted her.

Her thoughts drifted back to her third year of school. After her first every Quidditch practice with the Gryffindor team, George had come up and asked her to go to Hogsmeade with him. She'd been thirteen at the time and really hadn't given boys much though yet. George seemed really nice, but the twins had already had a notorious reputation, and Katie was more than a little intimidated by them.

She'd shyly told him she wasn't quite ready to date yet and immediately regretted it.

George had moped around for weeks and had been very short with her whenever she attempted any conversation. Just when she'd finally worked up the nerve to apologize and tell him that she would go out with him, Fred had cornered her, and told her to stay away from George.

The next year, things were better. He joked and talked with her, just like he did with other students, but he'd never again shown her any more interest than that of a casual acquaintance.

Now, years later, he'd rushed into an engagement with her that he clearly regretted.

The cheering of the crowd around her brought Katie out of her thoughts. Melanie and Harry were lip-locked in an embrace that was much more enthusiastic than two people forced to marry should be in.

She held back a snort of disgust as the cameras began snapping pictures of the happy couple. It would be all over the newspapers tomorrow. Harry and Melanie Potter would be the poster children for the damn law.

Katie sighed in defeat as any hope that the law might be repealed before her time was up was snatched away with the camera flashes.

A warm hand slipped into her own, and she looked up into Hermione's concerned eyes.

"We will talk later," she said, her tone allowing no argument.

Katie nodded and then followed the Snapes to the Room of Requirement for the feast.

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"I'm too tired to Apparate," Melanie muttered to Harry as the two of them made their way past the gates of Hogwarts to the Apparation point.

Harry stopped walking and glanced at his watch. It was nearly two am.

"You're not Apparating, I am. You don't even know where we're going," he pointed out.

She sighed and sat down on a tree stump, glad for the chance to get off of her aching feet. Over four hours of dancing and it didn't matter that she'd worn her trainers instead of the heels her mum had bought her.

"If you'd tell me where we were going…" she grinned but stopped talking at his peeved look.

"C'mon, we're almost there," he said, holding out a hand to help her to her feet.

Melanie groaned as her weight settled back on her feet. After limping a few more yards, Harry gave an exasperated sigh, and then swung her up into his arms.

"Wow, Harry. This is almost romantic," Melanie teased.

Harry laughed, and continued on, panting slightly.

"Have you ever had anyone side-Apparate with you before?" She asked when he came to the spot.

He gave her a mischievous grin.

"Nope. Hope I don't splinch you," he said, then Apparated them before she could protest.

Now, Melanie had earned her Apparating license a few months ago, but as a pureblood witch, she had had a lot of experience side-Apparating with her parents. The trips always left her feeling cold and slightly nauseous. With Harry, however, she barely felt a thing.

Melanie blinked and took in the change of scenery. They were on a dark road in a wooded area. She could make out a house with some lights on a little ways up the street.

Harry adjusted his hold on her, and then started walking toward the house.

"Where are we?" she asked around a yawn.

He hesitated for a moment and then said, "My, er… our house."

"You have a house?"

"Yeah, well. It was my parents. It was destroyed the night that… you know. I had it rebuilt a couple of years ago. It's not huge or fancy, but I like it," he said almost shyly.

Melanie squinted in the dark trying to see more of it.

It looked like an ordinary two-story house that you might see in a muggle neighborhood, but as a witch, she knew that appearances could be, more often than not, very deceiving.

"I'm sure it will be fine," she said, and rested her heavy head on his shoulder.

"If it's not enough for you, we can always look into getting another. I just thought, for now…"

"Harry! I said I'm sure it will be fine. I don't need a huge mansion. In fact I think I'd like a bit more simplicity in my life," she admitted and then yawned again.

He didn't answer, just kept on carrying her closer to the house.

"Why did you Apparate us so far away from the house?" she asked, trying desperately to keep her eyes open.

"Anti-Apparation wards. I don't take chances," he said simply.

She nodded off, and then woke with a gasp.

He chuckled.

"Go to sleep, if you can. There'll be plenty of time to see that house tomorrow."

Melanie shook her head.

"We have to 'seal the contract' before I can sleep," she murmured.

He laughed again.

"We can 'seal it' in the morning. We have twenty-four hours from the time we're married," he explained.

Apparently that was all she needed to hear, for the next thing she knew he was gently lowering her onto a bed.

She glanced sleepily around the candle-lit room.

"I can't sleep in this," she said, tugging at her gown.

He helped unbutton, untie, and uncharm the dress pulling it over her head.

She cast a quick spell to undo her hair, then laid her wand on the bedside table and climbed under the blankets in her slip.

Melanie shut her eyes with a pleasurable sigh.

Harry puttered around for a few minutes, then extinguished the candles and crawled into bed.

He lay awake for a few minutes, studying his ring in the moonlight. This was it; he was married. He stared at his sleeping bride, watching the rise and fall of her chest.

Harry hadn't thought of Ginny once today. In fact, he hadn't thought about her in at least a week. He wondered if she'd be happy to know that he'd found someone who made him happy.

He smiled and pulled a sleeping, unresisting Melanie up against him, resting her head on his chest. She murmured something and snuggled against him.

In all honesty Melanie made him feel annoyed, frustrated, and confused, but happy. Definitely happy.

He glanced down at her sleeping form, feeling the warm curves of her body against him.

She made him happy and horney.

End Chapter 14


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: I just wanted to warn you that I went through about a week-long writer's block, and ended up reading about twenty different romance novels. That's the only excuse I have for the first part of this chapter. I may have slipped above theM rating.

Chapter 15

Melanie awoke with a slight giggle at a tickling sensation on her collarbone. A glance downward reveled Harry's messy brown hair as he dropped kisses along the neckline of her slip. She tensed suddenly, and Harry pulled back to look at her.

"Sorry, I couldn't wait any longer," he murmured huskily, then leaned forward to kiss her lips.

Melanie quickly turned her head to the side so that he kissed her cheek instead.

"Harry, I –uh…" she began but broke off when his lips moved to her neck again.

She took a deep breath and then firmly pushed him off of her and jumped out of bed.

"I have to go the restroom," she explained to his confused look.

He nodded and pointed to a door at the far side of the room.

"Don't take long," he called as he watched her practically run for the door.

A few minutes later he heard her turn on the shower and groaned.

Ten minutes later Melanie stood behind the closed bathroom door, wearing nothing but a towel, trying to work up the courage to open it.

Why hadn't they done this last night when she'd been too sleepy to be nervous?

She hadn't lied earlier when she said she needed to use the bathroom. But after that she realized that she had morning breath and so she brushed her teeth. Then she discovered that the charm that kept her legs hairless and smooth had worn off, and so she took her time reapplying it. After that she washed and dried her hair, and every body part she could think of. Now, there was nothing left to do. It was time.

Melanie took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Harry was lying on his back, not moving.

"Harry?" She asked tentatively as she walked over to the bed.

The only answer she got was a soft snore.

He was asleep.

"Really, I didn't take that long," she grumbled under her breath.

She climbed on the bed and sat cross-legged beside her sleeping husband.

Harry looked so peaceful and angelic in sleep that it made her smile.

She reached out a hand to shake his shoulder, but changed her mind, and touched his cheek instead.

The pale skin of his face was smooth and slightly flushed with the warmth of sleep. She traced her fingers along his jaw line and then up to his nose and brow. Finally her fingers swept across the infamous scar that marred the otherwise blemish-free skin of his face.

Harry's intake of breath at the warmth of her fingers on his scar was so subtle, that at first she only thought that she'd imagined it. Melanie instantly stilled her movements and watched him carefully for a sign that he was awake. His chest continued to rise and fall in slow steady breaths, and his face remained relaxed.

Testing a theory, she stroked his scar again, then had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the tension that went through his whole body. He was awake. He'd probably been awake the whole time.

At first she felt embarrassment for being so bold, and then she felt angry that he'd allowed her to do it. However, it finally occurred to her that she had overcome whatever fear she had awoken with. Melanie was actually touching him and wasn't nervous about it.

Smiling to herself, she continued her strokes on his face and then down his neck until she encountered the top of his pajama shirt. Scooting closer to him, she slowly undid the buttons and opened the shirt so that his chest was available for her inspection.

His chest was well muscled, and black hairs were scattered all over it leading down his stomach and under his pajama bottoms. Her fingers picked up where they'd left off at his collar and she continued her light strokes over his pectoral muscles.

Melanie watched his face closely as she brushed her fingers across a nipple, grinning even broader when he tried to stifle a gasp. She caressed him there for several minutes, then lightly ran her hands down his rib cage and stopped at the waistband of his pants.

Harry had forgotten about keeping his breathing under control, so Melanie decided to turn it up a notch.

She completely pulled away from him, and counted out a full minute, before bringing her lips to his cheek causing him to jerk slightly. She then traced the same path with her lips that she had with her hands and fingers. His moans began when her lips reached a nipple. Feeling very bold at the power he was giving her over himself, she could resist sinking her teeth into the nub of flesh.

Melanie let out a squeal as in a whirl of blankets and appendages, she was flipped onto her back with an obviously aroused Harry pinning her down.

"How long did you know I was awake?" he demanded huskily.

"You were awake?" she asked, cheekily.

He snorted and claimed her mouth with a long, deep, kiss that left her gasping for air when he finally pulled away. Harry's eyes went to the knot in the towel that rested above her breasts, which were heaving as she struggled to catch her breath.

"My turn?" he asked, moving a hand to the knot.

Melanie nodded and shut her eyes as he pulled the towel away from her. She shivered at the cool air that rushed against her naked and slightly damp body, but she did her best to remain still as he started caressing her face like she had to him.

When Harry reached her breasts, he gave up trying to copy her routine and decided to just take his time.

Every caress, lick and nip that he gave her sent an electric-like impulse straight to her groin. Soon, she was moaning and writhing beneath him, pleading for something she couldn't name. But no matter how much she pleaded, Harry refused to be rushed.

That had been Charlie's advice, though Harry would never admit to asking him.

"Take your time getting her ready, or it won't be much fun for either one of you," the eldest Weasley had advised him.

Melanie's legs wriggled out from under him and then wrapped around his waist. Harry had to stop and take a breath to get control of himself at the feel of her hot, moist center press against him. The only thing that separated them was the thin cotton of his pants.

She groaned in relief at being able to grind herself against him. It both relieved and intensified the pressure.

"Harry, please…"

He kissed her again, and slipped his hand between their bodies to test her readiness. She was so tight that he knew the pain for her would be inevitable, no matter how 'ready' she was.

Steeling himself against his own roaring lust, he mentally started reciting all the hexes and counter-hexes he could think of while his fingers slowly stretched her, and his thumb caressed her to a frenzy.

"Ohh!" Melanie cried out as an orgasm washed over her.

Harry rolled off of her and onto his side peppering her face with kisses as she came back to herself.

"Wow. That was… that has never happened to me before," she confessed breathlessly.

Harry felt a surge of pride and possessiveness wash over him at her words, and he kissed her again, pulling her closer.

He held her silently for a few minutes, dreading and anticipating what would come next. Suddenly he felt Melanie's hand tentatively slip beneath his pants and wrap around him and let out a growl that startled her.

Unable to wait another minute, he rolled back on top of her, pushing his pants of with his legs and feet. Once he was naked, her legs wrapped around his waist again, and he positioned himself at her entrance.

"Melanie, I'll be as gentle as I can, but…"

She pressed a finger to his lips.

"It's okay, Harry. I'm ready," she promised and kissed him.

Harry took a deep breath, and pushed into her.

Melanie went very still, and he was surprised to see her eyes squeezed shut.

He kissed her temple, and she cautiously open her eyes again.

"Well, that didn't hurt at all," she said with a smile.

"That's because I'm not in all the way," Harry said, practically gritting his teeth to keep from thrusting.

Melanie let out an irritated sigh.

"What are you waiting for? I told you I was ready… OW!" she ended with a cry as Harry gave into his urge and buried himself inside of her.

"Ow, ow, ow! Get it out! I'm not ready," she pleaded, tears streaming out of her eyes.

Harry allowed his weight to settle on her and brought his mouth to her ear, shushing her gently.

"Just relax, Melanie. The pain will fade in a minute," he whispered soothingly.

"How do you know? You said you've never been with a virgin before," she accused, gripping his arms as tightly as she could.

"I did some research. Please, just try to relax," he said.

Harry lifted his head so he could see her face. The tears had stopped, but she was still wincing.

He sighed and felt Melanie's muscles tighten around him as he shifted slightly.

"Oh, that almost felt good," she said, surprised.

It felt so intimate to be staring into her eyes while he was inside of her, their faces only a few inches apart.

Harry kissed her with his eyes open, something he'd never done before, and shifted again, pleased at her moan of pleasure. He used his lips and his hands to distract her as he made greater movements every few minutes. His attention always seemed to be drawn back to her breasts, and he spent a few minutes studying them.

Melanie kissed his forehead, beaded with sweat from the effort of holding back. He looked at her face again, and was relieved to see a look of hunger in her eyes instead of the painful wince.

Cautiously, he pulled out half way and thrust back in. Melanie gasped, and arched her back in pleasure. His next few thrusts were steady and controlled, but he could feel his control slipping away.

"Faster," she commanded hoarsely, and he let go and gave in to instinct.

It wasn't long before he called out her name and collapsed on top of her.

They were both panting, and Melanie braced her hands against his chest and pushed.

"You're too heavy," she gasped out, squirming beneath him.

Harry groaned, and rolled off of her, then pulled her up against him, burying his face in her neck.

Melanie's heart was still racing, and she felt very tense. She knew she was close to another orgasm, and was a bit miffed that he'd stopped. She carried on an internal debate with herself, before finally grabbing Harry's hand, and placing it between her legs.

He was startled at first, but quickly caught on to what she wanted and was more than happy to oblige.

"Say my name when you come," he whispered into her ear, and then leaned down to suckle her breast.

A few minutes later Melanie did as he asked with a scream.

She fell back on the bed panting, while Harry continued to play with her breasts.

When her heart rate got back down to normal, she threaded her fingers through his hair, and tugged so that he'd look at her.

He straightened and kissed her, before cuddling her close again.

"Now what?" she asked, still a bit dizzy.

She could feel Harry's grin against her neck.

"Now we rest up so that we can do it all over again."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Why didn't you say anything?" Severus Snape demanded of the Headmaster as the two Wizards hurried toward the Apparation point.

"I only received his owl this morning," Albus replied.

Severus rolled his eyes.

"But you must have had some idea…"

They stopped walking and turned to face each other.

"Yes, I did have an idea. I have several ideas. They're all part of my whimsical gift. I also know when it's best not to meddle," Albus said, uncharacteristically sarcastic.

"But if you knew the girl was alive…"

"I didn't, not for sure. I had feeling, but… Oh, let's stop this nonsense. What's done is done, and all we can do is the best that we can. Come on, I see them now."

Severus looked up to see two cloaked figures headed towards them.

"Mr. Malfoy, Mrs. Malfoy," Albus greeted them as they approached.

Severus nodded slightly to them, unsure of his welcome. Ginny Weasley had been nothing more to him than an irritating Gryffindor student, and he was sure that she'd despised him as much as the rest of his students had. She looked at him blankly now, clearly not recognizing him.

Albus had showed him Draco's letter a little while ago, so Severus had been somewhat prepared for this meeting. Ginny had lost her memory, and was now married to Draco.

He looked at the young blond man cautiously. The last time he'd seen Draco was the night of the raid on the Grangers' house. Draco had been a Death Eater for barely a week before that night, and had seemed very uneasy about the whole thing.

After the Grangers escape, Severus had been tortured and maimed for three days. He was barely coherent at the time, but he knew it was Draco who'd slipped the Portkey into his hand allowing him to escape from the Malfoy dungeons.

Severus had spent the next six months healing in a private room at Hogwarts under Poppy's care. He'd missed the final battle, but had heard from Albus that Draco had switched sides a few days prior. Ginny had argued in the young man's defense, persuading Harry to trust him.

Something had gone wrong in that last fight. Only four people know exactly what happened: Lord Voldemort, who was really and truly dead, Ginny Weasley, who had no memory, and Harry and Draco, who refused to speak about it. Since Ginny wasn't there to keep the peace between Draco and Harry, they'd gone back to being enemies. Harry no longer trusted Draco, and so the Order turned its back on the youngest Malfoy. Not that he'd noticed as he had disappeared soon after. Holing up inside his mansion and refusing to speak with anyone.

Draco offered him a slight smile and Severus felt an unexpected rush of relief. He'd always felt a sort of kinship with the young man, probably the closest thing to a friend or family member he'd ever experienced. At least, until Hermione.

"We're so glad you've come. I've prepared rooms for you and thought it best that you get settled before we begin re-introductions," Albus explained.

Draco looked a touch relieved by this and nodded his assent.

The four turned and headed toward the castle.

Yesterday was the wedding of the famous Harry Potter. Today was the return of Ginny Weasley-Malfoy. Of all the descriptions you could use of life after Voldemort, boring was not one.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Hermione hummed absently to herself as she packed an overnight bag. She'd be leaving for her parent's house soon, and though she'd been dreading the visit, she now realized that she was looking forward to seeing them again.

They would be a little miffed at her for not informing them of her marriage, but the news of her pregnancy would surely banish any resentment.

As she zipped up the bag she heard the front door to her chambers open, and headed to greet her husband, curious as to why the Headmaster had sent for him so early in the morning.

Before she reached the sitting room, the flash of a platinum blonde head stopped her in her tracks.

Draco Malfoy? What on Earth was he doing here?

Hermione quickly ducked back into the bedroom and hid behind the door.

Severus followed Draco into the room, and Hermione dashed for the bathroom, turned on the shower, and then slipped back out into the bedroom, locking the bathroom door behind her. She then ducked back behind the bedroom door just in time.

Severus came into the room glancing around; his gaze stopping to rest on the shut bathroom door, then left the room, shutting the door firmly behind him.

Hermione couldn't suppress the grin at having fooled him and settled down behind the shut door to listen.

"What's wrong Snape? Afraid the Mrs. won't approve of my being here?" Draco asked with a sneer.

Severus suppressed a sigh at the younger man's insolence as he crossed the room to make them both a drink. Some things never changed.

"Mr. Malfoy, I believe you've given all of us enough grief for the time being. A little politeness wouldn't hurt your situation, seeing as how I am the only one who might take your side in this mess you've gotten yourself in," Snape replied in his deadly calm voice as he poured the Fire Whiskey into two shot glasses.

"I only did what I thought was right…"

"Is that so? If you truly believed you were in the right, then why were you hiding?" Severus demanded coolly.

Draco glared at him, saying nothing.

"I thought as much. Now…"

Draco held up a hand, not wanting to talk about Ginny just yet.

"You know, when I chose Granger, I knew Dumbledore would get someone else to marry her. To save her from me. I never imagined that it would be you."

"Yes, we were all waiting for some sort of retaliation for throwing a wrench in your plans," Severus commented carefully as he handed Draco the drink.

Draco snorted and downed the shot.

"My plan worked perfectly. I needed to get the ministry off of my back, so I chose the one mudblood that I knew would never marry me," he explained, proudly.

Hermione's hands clenched into fists, wanting desperately to relive that day in third year when she'd snapped and smacked the arrogant fool.

Severus glared at him and Draco's self-satisfied smirk slipped a little.

"I didn't think for a minute that she'd choose you. I mean, she had four Weasleys to choose from," Draco sputtered.

Severus took the shot glass back from Draco and refilled it for him.

"Yes, but apparently a few of your loyal minions at the ministry decided to tamper with blood test results so that she'd be incompatible with the Weasleys."

Draco choked on his whiskey.

"I-I didn't know. Really Professor! It was never my intention…"

"To saddle me with an arrogant, Gryffindor know-it-all, who is over twenty years younger than me?" Severus demanded, furiously.

Hermione gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

Is that really how he felt?

Draco looked very uncomfortable.

"Listen, maybe I can pull some strings at the ministry. You could get an annulment…" his voice faded away as Severus' glare intensified.

A heavy silence hung in the air, and Hermione felt a painful lump form in her throat as she waited for Severus to answer.

"No. There will be no annulment," he said finally.

"Why not?"

Severus looked surprised at the question.

"Because I…"

'You love me. Say you love me!' Hermione thought desperately.

"Hermione is pregnant. I can't end it now."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

George surreptitiously watched Katie pick at her breakfast. She was obviously in a bad mood, and though he'd planned to begin his seduction, for lack of a better word, this morning he thought he might be more successful if he waited until she was in a better mood.

He didn't have to wait long. An owl dropped a letter in her cereal bowl, and the smile the lit up her face at the sight of it made his heart skip a beat. Did she even realize how beautiful she was?

George watched her eagerly tear into the envelope and pull out a sheet of parchment. As she read, the smile slowly slipped from her face. Her eyes filled with tears and she shook her head in disbelief.

She looked completely devastated, and George felt like someone had kicked him in the stomach. Every instinct was telling him to touch her. Pat her shoulder. Pull her into his arms and take the hurt away.

His arm stretched out automatically but missed her as she suddenly slid her chair back away from the table and darted out of the hall.

"Katie?"

George started to follow her, but stopped to pick up the letter that she had dropped, curious as to what could have upset her so much.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Good morning, Headmaster," Rachel called politely as the old wizard stepped into the infirmary.

"Are you ill?" She asked in concern when she noticed his pale complexion.

He shook his head, blue eyes darting around the room.

"Is Charlie around?" he asked, quietly.

Rachel shook her head.

"He's out feeding the animals."

"Good. There's someone I'd like you to meet," Albus said, stepping to the side to reveal a pretty young woman with fiery red hair and brown eyes.

Rachel gasped in shock.

"I knew she was alive! Does Charlie know? Of course he doesn't know. If he did he'd be here now…" Her babbling trailed off and she looked at Albus questioningly.

"But why bring her here? Shouldn't you be showing her to her brothers? Why aren't…"

Albus held up a hand to stop her questions.

"I thought it best that you look her over first. Then, I'll bring her brothers here to let them see her. I'm not sure what the reactions will be, but it would be best to already be in the infirmary should the shock be harmful in any way," he said, shrewdly.

Rachel nodded and gestured for Ginny to take a seat on one of the beds.

"I'd better get the smelling salts. In fact, it might be a good idea to ask Professor Snape for some calming potions…"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Katie ran all the way to the Astronomy Tower. Luckily there were no students around as it was Easter Sunday, otherwise she'd surely have knocked several down in her mad dash while squinting through blinding tears.

She'd only read the letter once. It was a reply from her Aunt Celia in America to her letter about coming to live with her. Aunt Celia had berated her for even thinking such a thing. How could you even think of bringing such disgrace to your parents? Don't even try to come here or I'll ship you right back. I will not harbor a criminal running from the law. They'd probably throw you in prison…

Katie reached her destination and determinedly climbed up onto the ledge.

The grounds were empty. No one would see her fall. In fact she probably wouldn't even be noticed until after lunch.

She took a deep breath and raised her foot to take the last step that she ever would.

End Chapter 15

A/N: I know, an awful cliff-hangar. I'll do my best to get the next chapter up within the week.

-Kassandra


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, they are almost overwhelming. They are well-past the 500 mark already, and that is just sooo cool! I never thought that this story would have such a huge following!  
It seems that almost every time I post I'm apologizing for not posting sooner. Unfortunately, I have a full-time job, and my beta is a full-time college student. That doesn't leave a lot of writing time, but I won't let that stop me. My goal is to update at least once a week, but that can't always happen. Please know that your reviews are great motivators when I get home at night and am sick of looking at a computer. They really keep me going. 

Okay, rambling done! Enjoy the next episode…er… chapter of Laws of Love. (I swear I feel like I'm writing a Soap Opera with so many characters and story lines!)

Chapter 16

George stared in shock at the letter in his hand. Katie was trying to leave? Why? He knew that she had been unhappy, but to leave all together without saying anything to him? She must be much more desperate than he had thought.

He looked up from the letter in the direction that Katie had fled. Just how desperate was she?

Stuffing the letter into his pocket he hurried after her.

George sprinted down the hall until he suddenly crashed through what felt like an icy waterfall. Crying out in shock from the cold, he turned back to see the Bloody Baron looking down at him contemplatively.

He felt the nervous fear he had always felt as a student when he saw the bloodstained transparent apparel of the school's most fearsome ghost.

"You had better hurry or she will become one of mine," the gravely voiced ghost informed him with a taunting smirk.

George looked around him desperately, his fear of the ghost forgotten.

"Where?" he cried, unable to remember which direction he had been headed.

"The Astronomy Tower," the ghost answered, raising a spectral eyebrow and giving him a significant look.

George wasted no time, running as fast as his legs could carry him.

The ghost watched George go, wondering if he would be in time.

"Is the Great Bloody Baron going soft?" asked a melodic voice from behind him.

He put a scowl on his face as he turned to greet the Grey Lady.

"Of course not. I just decided that we did not need anymore Gryffindor ghosts," he said, irritably.

The Grey Lady laughed and took his proffered arm. Then the pair of ghosts strolled away to do whatever it is that ghosts do all day.

Meanwhile, George reached the tower just in time to see a flash of dirty blonde hair as Katie plummeted over the side.

"NO!"

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Ginny. That was her name according to the babbling blonde healer. The name was almost a disappointment in that it really didn't tell her much. Since Draco had awoken her this morning explaining her memory-loss situation, Ginny had been so sure that upon learning what her name was, she would remember herself.

Well, she hadn't.

Sighing, she tried to hold still as the healer cast several diagnostic spells over her. It felt like something she had done many times, though she really couldn't remember ever having seen a healer before.

"As far as I can tell you are in excellent physical condition Miss Weasley," The healer informed her a few minutes later.

Ginny blinked.

"I'm Mrs. Malfoy," she corrected even though the name Weasley was tickling at her memory. It was obviously a name she knew well. If only she could remember why.

The healer was now gaping at her.

"Mrs. _Draco_ Malfoy?" the woman asked in shock.

"Yes," Ginny bit out irritably and crossed her arms across her chest.

The women mouthed wordlessly for a moment before clearing her throat and walking away to the other side of the room where the Headmaster (what was his name again?) was waiting patiently.

"Albus, they're going to kill him," she said, not even bothering to lower her voice so that Ginny couldn't hear.

"Is she talking about Draco? Who is going to kill him? Why?" Ginny demanded stalking across the room towards them.

Albus opened his mouth to speak but the healer cut him off.

"Let's start over. Hi, I'm Rachel Weasley. I am your sister-in-law," the woman said holding out a hand.

Ginny shook her hand automatically.

"I'm sorry, Rachel. I don't remember you at all," she confessed.

"Oh, that's a good thing. We've never met before," Rachel explained with a bright smile.

"Oh," Ginny said, smiling back at her.

Rachel shooed Dumbledore away, telling him to round up the boys while she got to know her patient a little better.

As soon as Albus left, albeit reluctantly, Rachel ushered Ginny through a door on the far side of the infirmary.

"This is mine and Charlie's rooms," she said, proudly.

"It's lovely," Ginny said, smiling politely.

Rachel took a moment to soak in the pleasure of the compliment. She had worked very hard on these rooms, and hardly anyone but her and Charlie ever saw them. Maybe she should initiate some kind of weekly get together with some of the other women so that they could give her compliments on the rooms too.

Ginny cleared her throat and Rachel shook her head. Back to business.

A few minutes later, Ginny was seated on a comfortable yet stylish sofa, staring intently at a photograph.

Rachel whipped out her wand and made a duplicate of the picture, enlarging it so that Ginny could see it better. She then conjured a large black marker and wrote the name of each of Ginny's family members over their heads. The Fred and George in the picture sniggered as they kept changing places, but the name written above their heads followed wherever they moved in the picture.

She put an X under the feet of Molly, Arthur, Bill, and Percy.

"This is my husband, Charlie," Rachel said, smiling when Charlie licked his lips and gave her a suggestive look.

They both laughed when Molly walked up behind him and smacked him in the head.

One by one she went through each person telling Ginny everything she knew about him or her, which wasn't much.

Ginny listened silently. It was a lot to take in. The faces seemed familiar to her, but that could be because they resembled her own face.

She focused her attention on her oldest brother, Bill. He seemed the most familiar to her. With his long pony tail and ear ring.

"Mum wanted Bill to cut his hair, but he never would," Ginny said, suddenly.

Rachel smiled and gave her an enthusiastic hug.

"That's great Ginny! You're starting to remember things."

Ginny gave her a hesitant smile in return then her gaze focused on the black X beneath Bill's feet.

"What do the X's mean?"

She knew what the answer would be even before she asked.

The smile slipped off of Rachel's face, and she looked at Ginny with pity.

"It means they're dead, Ginny. They died in the war. Everyone thinks you did too," Rachel answered and summoned a tissue when she saw a tear slip down Ginny's cheek.

"I remember a war…" Ginny whispered.

Rachel put a comforting arm around Ginny's shoulders.

Ginny pulled away suddenly and got to her feet.

"Where is Draco? I don't want to do this anymore. I want to go home," she insisted, terrified of the new images that had sprung into her head.

Rachel nodded at her knowingly.

"I can understand wanting your husband with you. But Ginny, you can't just run away from this…"

"Why not? Draco and I are perfectly happy with the way things are now. Why do they have to change?" she demanded through her tears.

Rachel snatched up the discarded Weasley family photo and stuck it in Ginny's face.

"Because there are people here that love you. They miss you. Your death hurt them the most," Rachel said firmly, but not in a mean way.

Ginny cried harder and Rachel pulled her into a hug.

"They have suffered so much. It would be selfish of you to deny them the happiness that would come with knowing that you are okay."

Ginny cried for a few more minutes then stepped away from Rachel and blew her nose on the tissue.

"Could you get Draco for me?" she asked, trembling.

Rachel stared at her for a long minute.

"If you promise not to run away," she said finally.

Ginny nodded, afraid that if she tried to speak she'd start crying again.

Sitting back on the couch, Ginny looked at the photograph again while Rachel went to her fireplace.

Draco stepped through a few seconds later and gathered his wife in his arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly as she clung to him.

"Yes. No, I don't know. I'm scared. Will you stay with me?" she asked hopefully.

Draco pulled back and looked into her eyes. Her pouted lips tugged at his heart, and he knew he'd never be able to deny her anything again.

"Of course I will," he answered and kissed her.

Rachel cleared her throat and they both turned to glare at her.

She raised her hands in an 'I mean no harm' gesture.

"Ginny's brothers are going to be emotional enough as it is. If you are there with her, Mr. Malfoy, someone is going to get hurt. And it will probably be you," she said warningly.

Ginny looked closely at her husband.

"They don't like you. I remember that. And when they find out that you've had me all this time, they will hurt you," she said, solemnly.

Draco took her hand in his.

"I don't care. If you want me with you, I'll be there. They are going to find out about us anyway," he said, bringing her hand to his lips.

Rachel opened her mouth to comment, but Ginny held up a hand to stop her.

"I think we need to do this in steps. Today, we'll just let them get used to the idea that I'm alive. Then tomorrow I'll tell them about us, and your part in all of this. Once I've extracted vows that they'll not hurt you, we will let them see that you are here," Ginny said, decisively.

"If that is what you think is best," Draco said, secretly relieved.

They turned to look at Rachel who nodded her approval.

Ten minutes later, Ginny cautiously made her way to the infirmary trying to hide behind Rachel.

"Where is George?" Albus asked the group of brothers waiting in the infirmary.

"He was supposed to be at the shop, but when I flooed over there he wasn't around," Fred said, a bit peeved that George was skipping work.

Albus got an odd look on his face then excused himself saying he needed to check on something.

"Wait, why did you summon us here?" Charlie called, but Dumbledore was gone.

A moment of silence passed as the brothers stood there, unsure of what to do.

"Wait right here," they heard Rachel tell somebody behind the door that led to her and Charlie's rooms.

"Rache? What is going on?" Charlie asked coming toward her.

She held up a hand and beckoned all of the brothers to gather around the partially closed door.

"Where is Albus?" she asked, suddenly nervous.

"He had to go do something," Ron said gesturing vaguely at the door.

"Coward," Rachel muttered under her breath.

"Okay then. Well, this might come as quite a shock. So please brace yourselves, and try not to overwhelm her," Rachel announced with a bright smile.

She then pulled the door open to reveal a very scared, but a very much alive, Ginny.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Katie, why?" George sobbed; holding her unconscious form in his arms as he carefully made his way up the front steps of the school

He was filled with relief and guilt as he watched the steady rise and fall of her chest. She was alive, but badly injured. George had been able to get his wand out and slow her fall considerably, but she'd still hit the grassy lawn rather hard and had been knocked unconscious.

Albus met him half way and helped direct him to the infirmary where a crowd of red heads was huddled together on the far side of the room. He paid them no mind as he gently lay Katie down and yelled for Rachel.

When she didn't come right away, he looked up to see the group of people watching him. His brothers and sister stood there with tears in their eyes, looking at him in shock.

At first he wondered what had upset them, and then his eyes went back to his sister. Ginny, who was supposed to be dead, was standing there staring at him while his fiancé lay unconscious on the hospital bed.

George burst into tears and fell to his knees not able to decide if he wanted to walk to Ginny or stay beside Katie. Luckily, his sister made the decision for him.

"George?" she asked, hurrying over to him while their brothers trailed after her, not wanting her to disappear again.

He nodded and looked up at her with such anguish she nearly fell down beside him. When she was close enough, George wrapped his arms around her waist and sobbed into her stomach while she stroked his hair in comfort.

"Ginny… Katie… I can't…" he murmured then hiccupped and returned to sobbing again.

"Shh, its okay, George. I'm not going anywhere," she looked up solemnly at her other brothers as she said the last part.

They let out a collective sigh of relief and Ginny smiled at them. How could she have even thought of running away from them?

"Katie," George mumbled, struggling to his feet.

Fred supported him on one side, Ginny the other.

"Look George, Rachel is going to fix her right up. See?" Fred said indicating the healer who was swiftly taking readings and muttering under her breath.

Rachel cast the brain diagnostic spell three times; not happy with what she was seeing.

She glanced up at George sharply.

"Tell me what happened," she commanded.

George took a few deep breaths, then shook his head and dissolved into sobs again.

Rachel looked back down at her patient, fighting hysteria herself.

"I'm afraid Miss Bell tried to take her own life by stepping off of the Astronomy Tower ledge," Albus Dumbledore's voice cut through the sound of George's crying and rang across the room.

Ron felt a surge of anger and had to literally bite his tongue to keep from yelling at George. But the sight of his brother reduced to hiccupping sobs was enough to stall the anger. George knew what he'd done, and it would be best for Ron to not interfere in any way.

Ginny stared in horror at the girl lying on the bed. She remembered Katie as a student a few years older than herself. However, it seemed that this girl was very important to George. Why had she tried to kill herself?

She looked at her sobbing mess of a brother and a thousand questions popped into her head. Who could give her answers?

Ginny wracked her brain, shuffling through memories that didn't make much sense until she saw an image of a bushy haired girl with big brown eyes.

"Where is Hermione?" she asked startling everyone in the room.

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Hermione sat on a sofa in her parents' living room discussing baby names with her father while her mother had already begun to knit a pink bonnet.

"Mum, what if they baby is a boy? He can't wear a pink bonnet," Hermione pointed out lazily.

She was full from the delicious Easter Ham that her mother had made, and was feeling quite drowsy. She also was as content and relaxed as she had been since she had started teaching.

"If you can float objects in the air, and peel potatoes with the flick of a wand, then surely you can change the color of a small bonnet," her mother responded with a cheeky grin.

Hermione and her father chuckled.

Suddenly, there was a loud crack and Albus Dumbledore's head appeared in the fireplace.

"Albus, what is it?" Hermione asked, snapping out of her after-dinner stupor to kneel by the grate.

"I hate to interrupt your holiday, but there is a situation here… Well, a couple actually, and I could really use your help."

Hermione looked pitifully at her parents. She had really enjoyed this trip and part of her didn't want to leave them again.

Hermione's mother walked over to her and pulled her daughter into a hug.

"She'll be right there, Headmaster," her father called.

Albus nodded then disappeared.

"I don't have to go. I could stay…" Hermione said, her voice catching.

Her mother smiled and brushed the hair back from Hermione's face.

"We love you, Hermione. We are very proud of you," she said softly.

Hermione's father placed a hand on her back.

"We also know that you have a lot of responsibilities that you need to get back to. Try not to wait so long before you come home again next time though, okay?" he asked.

She nodded and hugged them both.

"I guess I should bring my husband next time," she said, half-heartedly.

"Well, I have to admit that I am curious to meet the father of my grandchild," her mother said happily.

"Yeah, well he's an ass, so don't say I didn't warn you," she said.

Her parents just laughed.

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Hermione walked into her rooms put her bag on the bed and then went to the bathroom to freshen up. When she returned to the bedroom Severus was waiting for her.

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close for a minute.

"What?" He asked when she stepped back and just stared at him.

"You are an ass."

A silent moment passed.

"And?"

She shook her head and sighed.

"You are an ass and I guess that is okay."

He arched an eyebrow at her.

"Is this a new discovery or are you trying to start a fight?" he asked, warily.

She laughed and kissed him.

"Neither. I'm just stating a fact."

'Must be a pregnancy thing,' he thought, not daring to say it aloud.

Hermione laughed again, like she knew what he was thinking.

"So, what did I miss?"

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Melanie sat at a desk in her study working on her potion review questions for her NEWTs. The task itself was not very difficult until you added the distraction of having her husband nibbling on her neck.

"Harry, I can't concentrate while you're doing that," she said, faking annoyance.

She loved it when he touched her, but he didn't need to know that.

Harry pouted at her and she couldn't help but grin.

"Fine," she said, sighing in defeat and throwing down her quill.

Harry grinned in triumph, and then swept everything off of the desk and onto the floor.

"My books!" she cried and then gasped as Harry swiftly laid her back on the now clear desk and climbed on top of her.

"I've always wanted to do that," he confessed and pulled his shirt over his head.

Melanie laughed despite herself.

"So, we are playing out fantasies now huh?" she asked running her hands down his bare chest and then helping him remove his pants before they both started attacking her clothes.

"Why? You got some you want to try?" he asked nipping her ear as he lowered his naked body onto hers.

"Maybe," she purred as his hands found her breasts.

"Wait your turn," he said replacing a hand with his mouth.

He then proceeded to drive all thoughts of studying from her mind.

Hours later, Melanie was awoken by a slap to the face.

She gasped and sat up in bed glaring at Harry in shock.

He was sleeping, but not very peacefully. He was moaning and thrashing, his arms flinging out everywhere.

"Harry? Harry!" she had to practically yell before he woke up.

"Huh? What happened?" he asked, sleepily.

"You hit me," she accused.

"No I… in my sleep? I'm sorry Melanie. Are you okay?" he asked pulling her against him and gingerly running his hands over her face and neck.

"Yes, I'm okay now. It was just a shock to be slapped awake," she said, wiping away a stray tear.

He kissed her.

"I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?" he pleaded for forgiveness.

Melanie thought about the name that he had been moaning before she woke him.

"You can tell me who Ginny is."

End Chapter 16

A/N: Okay, so still a cliff-hangar, but not as drastic as the last chapter.

As I expect this week to be really busy, I thought I'd write up a preview of what to expect next. I'm sorry, but it will most likely be two weeks before I update again.

Preview: Up next Harry and Melanie will have to deal with Ginny being alive. Draco's part in Ginny's life will be revealed to the Weasley brothers, and he will have an unlikely defender. We'll learn a little more about Katie's fate. Ron will make an unexpected decision, and we'll get a good look at Charlie and Rachel's life. After that, I'm thinking of skipping ahead a few months so I can have some fun with Hermione and Snape as the reality of becoming parents begins to sink in.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: 'I'm sorry' sounds redundant, but I really am. I hate making you guys wait so much, but these chapters take a lot of time and effort to be decent enough to post. Anyway, here is the next chapter. I hope it pleases…

Chapter 17: Confessions of Love

"Who is Ginny?"

Melanie was taken aback by the sudden flare of pain in her husband's emerald eyes.

Harry scooted away from her and sat back against the headboard. He sighed and ran a hand through his messy black hair.

"Ginny was… She…" he broke off and went very still.

Melanie frowned and raised a hand to touch his cheek.

"Harry, are you crying?"

"No," he said quickly, leaning away and wiping his face on his sleeve.

It was very disconcerting to see the hero of the Wizarding World fighting back tears at the mention of a name. Harry Potter was human after all; not that she ever believed any different.

This Ginny must have meant a lot to Harry, and Melanie would have been jealous except for the fact that he had referred to her in the past tense.

Harry took a deep shuddering breath.

"Ginny was a friend that I failed," he said, finally.

A moment of silence passed.

"Just a friend?" she asked skeptically, but gently.

Harry nodded then shook his head.

"I wanted to be more than friends, but I never got the chance to talk to her about it. She… I tried to save her. I grabbed her hand, but she disappeared. My hand vanished along with her," he whispered, holding up his fake hand and looking at it as if he was seeing it for the first time.

"I never knew, how it happened," Melanie said, taking the hand into her own and bringing it to her lips.

Harry's eyes softened at her action. The warmth of her mouth seemed to drive away the painful memories and the warm bubble of happiness that had taken residence in his stomach since his wedding night returned full force.

"Melanie," he whispered pulling her into his lap for a long kiss.

He pulled back to look her in the eyes.

"I love you, Melanie Potter. Never doubt that," he swore and claimed her mouth for another kiss.

There were tears in Melanie's eyes when they finally came up for air.

"I love you too, Harry. And I'm sorry about Ginny…" He held a finger to her lips to silence her.

"Ginny was my past. You are my future."

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Hermione settled herself next to Severus on a sofa in Albus' office with a sigh. She hadn't even left for a whole day and just look at the mess her friends had made. Ginny Weasley-Malfoy had returned to Hogwarts, and Katie had tried to kill herself and ended up in a coma.

"And the boys don't know that Ginny and Draco are married?" she asked, tiredly.

Severus shook his head.

"Mrs. Malfoy has decided to wait until tomorrow to share her joyful news with her brothers," he elaborated sarcastically.

Hermione sighed again and rolled her head on her shoulders. She felt stiff and longed to retire to her rooms for a nice hot bath.

They were waiting for Albus to join them, hopefully between the three of them they could come up with some type of plan of action. When dealing with emotions you had to be careful.

Hermione jumped slightly when she felt Severus place his hands on the back of her neck, but she soon relaxed into his gentle ministrations. She let out a quiet moan as the muscles in her neck finally began to loosen.

"Better?" He asked with a smirk.

"Mmm."

The door opened and Albus entered the room. Severus quickly removed his hands from her and nodded at the headmaster in greeting.

Albus sighed and strolled to his seat behind the large mahogany desk.

"What tangled webs we weave," he muttered, popping a lemon drop into his mouth.

The three sat in quiet contemplation for a few minutes before Hermione spoke.

"Harry and Melanie won't return until Sunday, right? We've stressed the importance that Ron not floo Harry to tell him about Ginny, do you think he'll go along with it?" She voiced her most pressing questions.

Albus gazed solemnly into the fire as he answered, "The Potters will not be returning until Sunday. I plan to meet them at the apparition point so that Harry is forewarned. Perhaps you could help Melanie get settled into her rooms while I talk to him? As for Ron, he has other things on his mind at the moment, and I believe he understands the importance of holding his tongue in this instance."

"Yes, I can do that. I should probably explain to her about Katie. They seemed to get along rather well before the wedding," Hermione commented.

"Have you spoken with Rachel about Katie's care?" Albus asked, turning to look Severus in the eye.

"Yes. She has been owl-ing Poppy about it. There are a few experimental potions they want to try, and of course I will accommodate them."

Albus nodded and caught Hermione trying to stifle a yawn.

"I think that is enough discussion for the evening. The best thing to do is take it one day at a time. Tomorrow we shall deal with helping the Weasleys accept Ginny's marital state, and get started on bringing Katie back to us. We can worry about the Potters later."

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Hermione gave a groan of pleasure as she sank into the steaming bath water. Her eyes closed and she imagined the stress of the day being drawn out of her body by the soothing water. A soft intake of breath alerted her to her husband's presence.

Cracking an eye open she saw Severus at the doorway to the bathroom staring at her with obvious longing. She shut her eye again and settled back into the tub, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"This bath is big enough for two, you know," she informed him.

This wasn't the first time she had invited him to share a bath with her, but he always refused.

"I'm not a bath man. I prefer showers," was always his response, though she had a feeling that his refusal had more to do with intimacy issues as opposed to bathing preferences.

This was why she let out a startled squeak when she felt him slip in behind her a few minutes later. He held himself very still for a second, and then began to climb back out.

"No, don't go," she said, grabbing his arm.

"No, it is obvious that you were not sincere in your invitation," he snapped, but did not try to pull away from her.

"You surprised me, Severus. I ask you all the time to join me in here and you always refuse. I just wasn't expecting you to agree tonight, but I assure you that it is a pleasant surprise. Please lay back so that I can rest on you," she pleaded, tugging on his arm.

Severus let out a huge, fake sigh of annoyance, but obliged her request.

Once he was settled, Hermione lay back and relaxed against him. His whole body was tense and she could hear his heart pounding frantically. Not for the first time she wondered where this fear of his was coming from.

Keeping her movements slow and deliberate, she took his hands in hers and linked them together on top of her slightly distended abdomen. She tucked her head under his chin and sighed in pleasure.

When Hermione was younger, she would occasionally daydream about being married. Probably not as much as most girls her age, but she did it nonetheless. In her dreams, she rarely imagined actually having sex. It was mostly just scenes like the one she and Severus were sharing at the moment. Simply holding each other in the bath. She had let go of this particular dream as she had so many others when she married the irritable Professor. And now... having that dream realized filled her with a happiness she had thought would always be denied her.

It took a good five minutes before she felt her husband relax.

"This is nice," she murmured quietly, hoping that her words wouldn't spoil the mood.

He made some sort of noise that she took as an agreement as she felt his arms slightly tighten around her.

The only thing that would make this dream complete would be a whispered 'I love you' into her ear. Unfortunately, it didn't come. Not that she really expected that it would.

She frowned as she remembered the conversation between Snape and Malfoy that morning. Severus must have felt her tension.

"What are you thinking about?"

Hermione debated internally over whether or not she should bring it up, but in the end she remembered Severus' promise that he would listen to her if she needed to talk.

"If I wasn't pregnant, and you had a way out of our marriage, would you take it?" she asked, finally.

He went still and quiet for a moment.

"You were not really in the shower this morning then," he said reproachfully.

Hermione felt a small surge of triumph as she remembered her successful deception that morning.

"You didn't answer my question," she reminded him softly.

He sighed.

"What did you want me to say? I don't trust any of the Malfoys. I never have and I never will. My mistrust of Lucius is one of the reasons I'm still alive. Draco seems to be on the right side of things at the moment, but who knows what kind of hidden agenda he might have. I thought it best he believed what everyone else believes. That we are unhappily married."

Hermione sat up and turned around to face him.

"You _still_ didn't answer my question."

He glared at her.

"No."

She blinked.

"I beg your pardon?"

"No, I would not end our marriage now, regardless of your condition."

She gave him a brief smile and shook her head.

He watched warily as she reached out a hand to tuck his hair behind his ear so that his ravaged face was completely exposed to her. Her eyes met and held his, praying that he could see the love she felt for him in them.

"Severus, I need more. I need you to tell me why," she said, simply.

He quickly looked away from her, turning even paler than usual.

"I don't know what you want from me," he whispered.

Hermione realized that he was shaking, slightly.

She cursed herself for pushing him too far too fast. One day, he would be ready to tell her what she needed to hear, but that day was not today.

She pushed herself forward in the water so that she could sit in his lap with her legs wrapped around his waist.

Severus sucked in a breath at her action but kept his eyes turned away from her.

Her hands came up to rest on either side of his face and she gently turned his head to look at her.

"Severus, I wouldn't end it either," she said, honestly.

He gave her a skeptical look and she smiled.

"Okay, enough talking. I would be much obliged if you would just hold me for a little while, okay?"

Severus eagerly pulled her up against him, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

She sighed and rested her head on his chest listening to his heartbeat that had slowed considerably since she had heard it a few minutes ago.

Hermione silently congratulated herself on her courage. From here on out, she could ask him to do things like bathe with her, or just hold her and he would happily oblige as long as she didn't want to talk about his feelings. It was one battle won, and one more step toward having the kind of marriage that she wanted.

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George stared down in anguish at the still form lying in the infirmary bed. He had been such a fool, and Katie had suffered for it.

"George, you need to rest. It has been a long day for all of us," Rachel scolded as she double-checked Katie's vitals.

"Any change?" George asked, ignoring her words.

He looked so tired and rumpled one might think that he had been there beside Katie's bed for a few days rather than hours. His eyes were bloodshot, and dark bags hung beneath them. His clothes were rumpled and his hair was sticking up from all the times his fingers had run through it.

Rachel sighed and shook her head.

"She is in a deep coma. It could last ten minutes or ten years. We won't know until she awakens."

It was old news to him, but George found his gaze travel to the clock on the far wall to begin another ten-minute countdown. He had lost track of how many times he'd done that.

Rachel finished up her exam and made some notations on a clipboard.

"Well, I'm going to bed. If you insist on staying, you could pull another bed next to hers," she suggested.

George nodded absently still looking at Katie.

The healer sighed again and turned to leave feeling helpless.

"Rachel? What can I do to help her? There has to be something," George begged, looking at her now.

Rachel could feel her own heart breaking over his obvious pain. She was about to tell him to pray, when something she had heard in school came back to her.

"I don't know if it's true or not, but I remember an instructor of mine saying that while she was in a coma, she could hear her loved ones talking to her, and that is what brought her back. I suppose it is worth a try," Rachel offered, heartened by the hope that sparkled in George's eyes at her words.

With a small wave, Rachel entered her and Charlie's chambers to get ready for bed. She gasped taking in the scene in front of her.

White candles covered the sitting room casting a soft glow that soothed her tired eyes. Rose petals formed a path that led to a plush rug in front of a roaring fire, and she could hear the gentle swell of music coming from somewhere above. The thing that caught her gaze though was her half-naked husband standing in front of the fire and beckoning her to come to him.

She just stood there for a minute admiring the play of firelight over the contours of his muscled chest. Finally, she walked to him, placing her hand in his outstretched one. He brought her hand to his mouth for a kiss, keeping his eyes locked with hers.

"Rachel?" he asked, raising a hand to caress her cheek.

"Hmm?"

"You know that I… I love you, right?" he asked uncertainly.

She gave him a brilliant smile, and stepped closer to him.

"Yes, but it is nice to hear every once and a while," she whispered and leaned in for a real kiss.

Charlie nearly drove her mad, insisting on taking things painstakingly slow. With all the shocks her husband had received that day, Rachel understood that he needed to be in control of things. He took his time, pealing the clothes off of her, and then kissing and caressing every inch of her naked body. She reached for the button of his pants, but he kept batting her hands away and telling her to be patient. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she finally just gave herself over to him, forcing her arms to stay above her head where he kept putting them. She was greatly rewarded with the best orgasm she'd ever had.

They were both exhausted and covered in sweat, but Charlie still managed to get them to bed, and extinguish all of the candles. They drifted off to sleep in each other's arms, happy with the love they had found together.

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"LET ME GO!" Katie screamed angrily at George.

He didn't move, or even respond in anyway except to grip her hand tighter.

Katie paced miserably around the bed trying not to look at her still body lying on it.

"I can't believe I'm a fricking apparition!" she yelled.

Letting out another groan of frustration, she charged toward the door of the infirmary only to get knocked back in, again. She started laughing then. Not a happy laugh, but an insane one that soon changed to sobs and then back to laughs.

She took a deep breath, willing the hysteria to pass.

"Okay, Katie. Get a grip, and think about this rationally," she told herself.

Katie remembered jumping from the tower and hearing George call her name. A few hours later she awoke to a crowd of people hovering around her. She tried to tell them that she was fine, but they didn't seem to be able to hear her. Then she got up out of bed, only to realize that her body was still lying there. She knew that George was the reason she had to stay where she was, though she wasn't sure how she knew this.

She glanced back at her body again. Clearly she was still alive. Rachel had said she was in a coma. Okay, weird things happened to people in comas, but this was ridiculous.

Seeing George so distraught hurt her in a way she never expected. She had wanted to die; to move away from this place. However, she knew that as long as he stayed there, holding her hand, talking, singing, and crying over her she would never be able to. If he could just let her go, she would be able to move on and maybe find that peace she so desperately craved. Then again, seeing him in such a state made her think that she had underestimated how he felt about her. Clearly his pain was more than just that of guilt.

She sighed, moved back over to him, and made herself comfortable on the floor by his chair. He was talking to her, so she might as well listen. It wasn't as if there was anything else she could do anyway.

George was hard to understand at first. He was rambling on about things she couldn't really comprehend through his tears, but then three little words jumped out at her, grabbing her by the heart and filling her with an unexpected pleasure.

"I love you, Katie. Gods, I love you so much. I loved you from the moment we met. And I was so hurt when you rejected me, and I refused to give you the chance to hurt me ever again. I was such a fool. Pushing you away only to end up hurting us both. Please, come back to me. Don't leave me now. I know that we are meant to be together and I'm so ashamed that it took something like this to make me realize that, but I swear that if you come back I'll never push you away again. Please, Katie…. Please don't die."

Tears were streaming down her face when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Katie gasped and spun around to see the Bloody Baron standing behind her with a sad smile on his face.

"Not as simple as you thought it would be, is it?" he asked, wryly.

Katie gaped at him for a minute in shock.

"You… you touched me! I felt your hand, and it wasn't cold!" She cried, "Oh no! Am I a ghost now?"

The Bloody Baron gave her a piercing look.

"You came very close. If your young man hadn't intervened, you would be joining Nick for his nightly rounds," he answered finally.

She looked at George again feeling suddenly grateful to him. It had not occurred to her that she could spend the rest of eternity as a ghost, and that thought was more miserable than marrying someone who didn't want her. But it looked as though she'd been wrong about that.

"I am such a fool."

The Baron laughed.

"Yes, my dear. However you are wise enough to see that now," he said, encouragingly.

Katie looked back up to him and nodded.

"Right. Okay, I've learnt my lesson. How do I go back?"

All traces of amusement left him.

"I don't know."

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"You're leaving?" Fred demanded miserably.

Ron nodded, firm in his resolve.

"I can't help but feel somewhat responsible for Katie. Maybe if I hadn't interfered, she and George could have worked things out," he confessed.

Fred opened his mouth to argue, but Ron held up a hand to silence him.

"Professor Dumbledore wants me to personally deliver a letter to a witch in South America. School will be out for the summer holidays soon, and I've been itching to get away from all this mess for a while now anyhow. I miss traveling and I've never been to Brazil before. I'll probably be back for the fall term. You can survive a few months without me," Ron said, ruffling Fred's hair.

His brother scowled at him and smoothed his hair back into place.

"But if you leave, I'll be the only bachelor left. You just watch, some witch will have to find someone to save her from an awful match with a Death Eater, and old Dumbledore will turn to me with his twinkling eyes and say, 'Oh Fred, whatever can we do to help this poor soul out?'"

Ron laughed.

"You could come with me," he offered, but Fred immediately shook his head.

"No, I won't leave George," he said quietly, but firmly.

"Oh that's right. I forgot about the shop," Ron said.

Fred blinked at him a few times.

"Right, that too."

End Chapter 11


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Ginny covered her sleeping brother with a blanket. George had fallen asleep in a chair next to Katie's bed.

"Is that Katie Bell?" Draco asked from the other side of the bed.

"Yes, she's engaged to George," Ginny told him, absently stroking her brother's hair.

Draco frowned peering closely at Katie's unconscious form.

"What happened to her?"

"She-"

"It doesn't matter," Hermione interrupted as she and Severus entered the infirmary.

Draco glared at her, but refrained from retorting when he saw Snape's warning look.

The blond shrugged and moved to the window on the far wall deciding to just ignore everyone. It wasn't as if anyone wanted to talk to him anyway.

Hermione smiled at Ginny and gave her a quick hug. "Are you ready for this?"

The redhead gave her a tired smile, but nodded resolutely. "I don't want to string this out any longer. I really need to concentrate on getting better and I can't do that until this is over," she said, solemnly.

"And how are you feeling, Mrs. Malfoy?" Severus inquired, politely.

She blinked at him, startled that he had spoken to her.

"I feel fine, Professor Snape."

His eyes narrowed. "Has your memory returned then?"

"Oh, not completely. I remember my family and friends now, but there are still a lot of holes in my memory. Draco says I've improved a great deal just by being here. He says that for the first few days we were married, I'd wake up screaming because I didn't know who he was," she laughed nervously but quickly stopped at the pained expressions the Snape's were giving her.

"Well, I'm sure I will be back to normal soon," she said, dropping her eyes to the floor.

Hermione put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"I'm sure you will be," she said, giving Severus a significant look.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. I am as well."

Rachel quietly slipped into the room and went to do a quick check-up on her patient.

"George Weasley!" she exclaimed.

George jumped out of the chair his eyes darting around warily.

"I told you to sleep in the other bed! If you won't do as I ask, I'm not going to let you stay the night in here, understand?" she demanded.

"Yes Mum… I mean…Rachel…"

He looked sleepy and confused.

Ginny giggled.

"He's right Rachel. You did sound like Mum just then."

The medi-witch smiled and finished her exam on Katie.

"No change," she told George gently.

The slightly hopeful expression he had had vanished at her words. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Seeing Ginny, he was able to give her a small smile.

"I'm sorry I haven't been with you much, Gin." He apologized, giving her a hug.

"That's alright. I've had plenty of brothers to pester me. Besides, I know you need to be here with her."

George kissed her forehead and turned to leave. He was in desperate need of a shower. However, a flash of light-blond hair caught his eyes, and it wasn't Rachel's.

"Is that Malfoy? What the hell is he doing here?"

The room went dead silent while everyone looked at Ginny.

"Sit down George," she said. "The others will be here soon, and I'll explain everything."

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Ginny stood placidly in the middle of an emotional hurricane. Fred, George, Ron, and Charlie were on her left while Dumbledore, Severus, Hermione, Rachel and Draco were on her right. Her brothers shouted their protests of her new husband while Hermione and Dumbledore did their best to calmly, but firmly, defend him.

Severus said nothing. His arms were crossed, and he had a slightly bored look on his face. Rachel was still trying to revive Draco, who had been hit by four stunning spells simultaneously. Luckily, Hermione had had the foresight to cast a protection spell on Draco before the Weasley brothers had arrived. When he finally did wake up, he would only be a little groggy.

As Ginny stared at Draco she felt memories begin to surge up in her mind…

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

She was sitting by the lake one sunny afternoon in her 6th year of school. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she tried desperately to push Harry Potter out of her mind. All year she'd been trying to get his attention, but he was so wrapped up in creating his master plan to kill Voldemort that he didn't even notice.

Suddenly a shadow fell over her and she looked up to see Draco staring down at her. He looked different. His trademark sneer was gone, and his eyes were sad. He looked lost.

They stared at each other in silence for a few moments.

"Are you crying over Potter?" he asked. His rough voice telling her that he had been crying recently too.

She shook her head and he arched an eyebrow at her in disbelief. His gaze caught hers and she finally nodded, not wanting to lie to him.

He cursed and plopped down on the ground beside her.

"He doesn't deserve you," he mumbled, plucking a blade of grass and rolling it into a little ball.

Ginny let out a bitter laugh.

"Am I that bad?" she asked.

His head jerked up and his eyes went wide.

"No, that is not what I meant…"

Ginny froze and slowly turned her head toward him.

"What are you up to?" she asked him, warily.

Draco looked offended.

"I have to be up to something? I can't just give you a compliment?"

"No, you hate me. Remember?" she asked slowly.

He gave her a pained expression, and for a moment she thought he might start crying.

Draco cleared his throat.

"I hate Potter. I…I came looking for you, because I need your help. Dumbledore suggested it." He looked away giving her time to process his words.

It had to be some kind of trick. Everyone knew that Draco was set to take the Dark Mark this summer. Why on Earth would Dumbledore send him to her for help? What did he expect her to do?

"You have my attention," she said pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

He took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking.

"I don't want to be a Death Eater."

Ginny blinked.

"You want to be on Dumbledore's side?" she asked, suspiciously.

He laughed.

"Not really. But if I have to choose, and believe me when I say I have to, I pick Ha- uh, Dumbledore."

Ginny looked stunned.

"You meant to say Harry?"

He colored and looked away from her again.

"Yes, damn it! I might be a snobby pureblood, but I'm not an idiot. Potter nearly killed the Dark Lord when he was a baby. He's not a baby anymore, and I've seen how powerful he is," he sniffed.

"You are the most selfish bastard I have ever met!" Ginny cried jumping to her feet.

Draco looked up at her, startled.

"You don't care about anything but yourself! The only reason you don't want to be a Death Eater is because you think Voldemort is going to lose," she accused. Draco flinched at the name.

"Harry is more powerful, so you will just side with him. And the worst thing is that Harry will let you! He's noble, and won't allow anyone, not even his worse enemy to suffer!"

Draco stood up and glared at her through narrowed eyes.

"No, he only lets those close to him suffer," he snapped, swiftly brushing a tear off of her cheek.

Ginny stood frozen in silent anguish. Harry broke her heart nearly every day. Draco was right about that; the fact that someone as shallow and arrogant as he could see that when she could not made her angry with him, Harry, and herself.

She fell to her knees, feeling as if all the life had been sucked out of her.

"Weasley, get up. He's not worth your tears," Draco said hauling her back up by her arms.

She fell onto his chest, and her arms came up automatically to hold him close as the dam broke loose.

She vaguely registered his irritated sigh, refusing to let go of the death grip she had on his robes. Finally, he gave up and just let her hold on to him while she cried.

Ginny felt a tentative hand softly pat at her back. The awkwardness made her come to her senses, and she quickly let go of him and stepped away.

"I'm s-sorry," she gasped, wiping at her tears with the sleeve of her jumper.

When her blurry vision cleared she was surprised to see him holding out a silk green handkerchief to her. She took it and stared at the silver snake border that slithered around the edge as if it were alive.

Frowning, she looked up at him.

"I don't want to get it dirty," she said, trying to hand it back to him.

"It doesn't matter, I've got hundreds of them," he said dismissively.

She shook her head and forcefully shoved it back into his hands.

Sighing in irritation, Draco walked right up to her and began gently wiping her face with the silk. Ginny stood still, more out of shock at his actions than cooperation.

When he was finished, he stuffed the handkerchief into his pocket, and gave her a serious look.

"Dumbledore wants me to become a double, like Snape. I know what you think of me and my reasons for doing this, but you should have all the information before you judge. The Dark Lord has made me miserable my whole life. He has been a black shadow that hovers over every conversation and family dinner I've ever had. I have hated him since I learned of him, and seeing my parents so devoted to him destroyed the last ounce of admiration I held for them. I want to be my own person, to make my own decisions! If I join Voldemort, I'll probably die. If I join Potter, I'll probably die. It doesn't matter. All that matters is I get to choose!" His voice had gotten louder the more he spoke.

Ginny shook her head in bewilderment.

"What do you need me for?" she asked softly.

He grabbed one of her hands, pulling her closer to him. Her heart began to beat faster, and her hand was very warm where he touched her.

"I may not die. I may have to live a double-life for a very long time. I don't want to end up like Snape. Dumbledore said I needed a friend. A confidant. Someone I can speak to freely and just be myself," he was looking at her pleadingly.

"Why me?" she asked, her voice sounding strange to her own ears.

He smirked and her stomach flip-flopped.

"You need me too. We can make a deal," he said, raising his chin up arrogantly.

Ginny pulled away from him with a glare.

"What could you possibly do for me?"

His eyes raked her from head to toe, and he slowly sauntered back up to her. He was so close, their noses were almost touching. Part of her wanted to run away, the other part wanted to close that small distance.

Draco's gray eyes were slits as he looked down at her, his hands encircling her wrists.

"I can help you get over Potter," he said.

Ginny barely had time to comprehend what he had said before she found herself in his embrace. His mouth descended onto hers with a vengeance, and Ginny moaned at the feel of him. His entire body was pressed tightly against hers, and she allowed her hands to slide up his chest, and into his silky blond hair. He growled at the feel of her fingers on his scalp and pressed closer, sliding his hands down her back to clutch at her bottom…

MMMMMMMMMMMMM

"Ginny? What are you smiling about? Are you even listening?" Fred demanded angrily.

Ginny blinked and was startled to find everyone staring at her in concern. She blushed and cleared her throat.

"I'm married to Draco Malfoy. It was my decision and I made it. You don't have to like it, but you do have to accept it. Now that you know, it is time I concentrated on getting my memory back. You can help me, or stay away from me. Arguing about my marriage will do more harm than good. The subject is closed."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Wow Ginny! I've never seen them all shut up so quickly," Hermione said, impressed.

She and Ginny were having brunch in the Snape's sitting room. The Weasley brothers had adjourned to the Quidditch Pitch to work off some aggression, while Severus locked himself in his office to work on lesson plans. Draco was still sleeping off the stunning spells in the infirmary. When Ginny had suggested a private brunch with Hermione, she had happily complied.

Ginny smirked and dabbed at her mouth with a napkin.

"I'll have to teach you."

Hermione laughed.

They ate for a few minutes in silence.

"So, you don't have any morning sickness?"

Hermione swallowed the last bite of her bagel and nodded.

"I did at first, really bad. Then it just seemed to stop. Now, I'm okay if I sort of nibble on something all day. If I eat a lot at once, or go more than an hour without eating I get sick."

"You poor thing, I can't believe Snape made you test out his potion," Ginny said angrily.

Hermione raised her hand in a placating gesture.

"No, it was nothing like that, Gin. It's the law. If I didn't get pregnant soon, our marriage would have been annulled."

"But you didn't even try without it first. It may not have been necessary," she pointed out.

"It would have been necessary for someone eventually. Take Melanie, for instance, she…" Hermione trailed off and her face turned pale.

"Nevermind… The point is that it would have to be tested eventually, and at least I have Severus nearby if there are any problems. And remember this isn't his potion, he just got the ingredients for it," Hermione rambled on hoping that Ginny wouldn't ask any difficult questions.

"Who is Melanie?"

No such luck.

"Is she someone I knew?" Ginny questioned, worriedly.

Hermione shook her head and sighed.

"No, she is one of my 6th year students who has been subjected to the law."

"Oh, how awful! I hope she didn't have to marry someone horrible," Ginny said, concerned.

"I think she'll be alright. But really Gin, we shouldn't be discussing me and my students. I promised to help you get you memory back," Hermione reminded her.

Ginny nodded and took a breath.

"I wanted to ask you some things away from Draco and my brothers."

Hermione gave her a relieved smile. "Ask away!"

"No one has mentioned Harry. What happened to him?"

Hermione's face fell and Ginny covered her mouth to muffle a sob.

"He's dead?" She asked, distressed.

Hermione stood and quickly walked to Ginny's side, pulling the younger woman into a hug.

"No, Gin. He's not dead. Calm down, please? I'm so sorry…"

Ginny pushed away and quickly wiped at her eyes.

"I feel foolish. I just didn't know and since no one had mentioned him I thought he might be…"

Hermione gave her an encouraging smile.

"I should have handled your question better, Ginny. I just… I knew that you and Harry were close, and I'm not sure how much you're going to like what I have to say," Hermione said, uncertainly.

Ginny frowned.

"I married Draco Malfoy. What could he have possibly done to top that?"

Hermione decided to do it quickly, like taking off a Band-Aid.

"He married Melanie."

Ginny was silent for a moment as she let that sink in.

"He married his student? But, he isn't a pureblood…"

"No, but she is. Harry had a choice, Ginny. You were gone. Dead. He made the best one he could, and while it seemed a bit strange at first, I honestly think he has come to care for her."

"Oh. That's nice," Ginny said, but her eyes glazed over and she went silent as another memory surfaced…

MMMMMMMMMMM

"He is nothing but a selfish bastard, Ginny. How do you know that he won't betray us the first chance that he gets?" Harry demanded angrily as he paced the length of the classroom.

It had taken some convincing to get him to meet her there, but what she had to say couldn't wait any longer.

Ginny sighed.

"He wants to change sides, Harry. He wants away from the Dark Lord. I believe that."

She watched as Harry seemed to deflate at her words.

"But… Why him? I hate him," he muttered, more to himself than her.

Ginny placed a hand on his back.

"You don't hate him, Harry. Not really."

He gave her such an incredulous look that she laughed.

"You don't like him, that's true. But it isn't in your nature to hate, Harry. I know you will give him a chance. You may not be happy about it, but you will," she said, firmly.

He opened his mouth to protest but all that came out was a groan as Ginny's hands found the back of his neck and began to massage his tense muscles.

"You carry the world on your shoulders. It is your destiny. But you don't have to do it alone…"

Harry grabbed one of her hands and turned to face her, cutting off whatever she was going to say next.

"You are right. I'll give him a chance," he said, slowly raising her hand to his lips.

Ginny waited for her stomach to flip-flop. She waited for his lips to scorch her skin and burn a path straight to her heart.

All she felt was the slight warmth of his mouth as he quickly brushed his lips across the back of her hand. All in all, it was an affection gesture that lacked the passion she had been anticipating. He gave her one last tired smile before leaving the room.

Ginny just stood there for a few minutes, trying to grasp on to some feeling or thought that held the passion she had had for him for years. But it wasn't there anymore. What had happened to it?

She got her answer a few seconds later when she felt warm breath on the back of her neck.

"Let me help you forget…" Draco's voice whispered in her ear as his hands went to her hips and pulled her back against him…

MMMMMMMMMM

"Ginny? Can you hear me? You look a little flushed," Hermione said, worried.

Ginny cleared her throat and gave her head a shake.

"I'm fine."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at her.

"Fine? You zoned out for a good five minutes… Hey, you are remembering things, aren't you?"

Ginny flushed scarlet and looked away.

"Oh, you are remembering naughty things! Share!" Hermione teased.

Ginny gave her a pained look and blurted out, "I was just remembering the moment I realized I wasn't in love with Harry anymore."

Hermione blinked in shock.

"Ginny, I was just teasing. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to…"

Ginny shook her head.

"No, I need to tell someone. Better you than Draco…

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Hello!" Katie called out of the open infirmary door.

No response, again.

She cussed and began pacing. After her discussion with the Bloody Baron the day before, he had left her alone again and no matter how many times she called for him, she got no answer. It was only after he left that she'd realized that while she might be invisible, the ghost was not. He could tell Dumbledore what had happened to her. Dumbledore would know what to do. He just had to.

Quickly growing tired of the pacing, she sat down and glared at the wall. If only she could leave the infirmary and track the ghost down herself. Having hours to experiment, she'd found that she could be no more that ten feet away from her body at all times.

Having nothing better to do at the moment, she thought about what had happened that morning. Ginny and her brothers had had a huge fight about Ginny's husband, Draco Malfoy. Katie remembered Draco from Quidditch, but didn't know much about him. She knew he was rich, and that Harry and the Weasleys hated him.

She turned her gaze to the sleeping man in the bed across from the one her body rested on.

When he'd question Ginny about what had happened to Katie, Hermione had interrupted her. Katie had been surprised and a little grateful. If she ever did get back to normal, it was going to be embarrassing enough that all of her friends and future in-laws knew of her botched suicide attempt. Having an almost complete stranger know made her feel even more uncomfortable.

Katie suddenly jumped to her feet and looked imploringly at the ceiling.

"Okay! I've learned my lesson! Please, let me go back. I swear I'll never try to kill myself again," her voice broke on a sob.

"Stop you're bloody yammering," Draco growled and turned over in his sleep.

Katie's jaw dropped and it was almost a full minute before she got over her shock enough to speak again.

"You can hear me?" she asked, her voice sounding a bit hoarse.

"Of course I can…" Draco sat up and looked intently around the empty infirmary.

"Where are you?" he demanded, pulling the blanket up to his chin.

"I'm right here in front of you," Katie said, frantically waving her arms.

Draco frowned and tilted his head.

"You're getting harder to hear…"

"Who are you talking to?" George demanded as he appeared in the doorway.

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"Professor Weasley? What are you doing here?" Melanie asked Fred who stood on the doorstep.

"I came… I need to talk to Harry. I'm sorry if I'm disturbing your honeymoon, but it is important that I speak with him," Fred said, looking very uncomfortable.

"Of course, Professor. Please come in," Melanie said, stepping back to allow him entry.

She gestured toward a chair and called for a house elf.

"Please attend to Professor Weasley," she told it, then turned to Fred.

"I'll get Harry, please make yourself at home."

She walked quickly up the stairs and down the hall to Harry's office.

"Harry? We have-" she broke off with a yelp as a naked Harry pulled her into the room and pushed her up against the wall.

He claimed her mouth in a deep kiss as his hand went to the front of her robes.

"I know. We haven't made love in almost four hours," he murmured against the skin of her neck.

She laughed and tried to bat his hands away.

"No, Harry. We have company."

He blinked at her a couple of times as her words sank in.

"Who?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"Fred Weasley," she answered, unable to stop herself from running her hands up his bare chest.

Harry snorted and returned to his task of removing her clothes.

"He can wait," he said pushing her now open robes off of her shoulders to puddle in the floor.

"He said, hmm… he said it was important, oh," she cried out as his hand slipped between her legs.

"So is this," he whispered pulling her down to the floor.

It was almost ten minutes before the very disheveled couple made their way downstairs.

"Fred, sorry mate. We were busy…" Harry trailed off and Melanie flushed.

Fred grinned and winked at her.

"Well, it is nice to see you got over your 'But she's my student' phase."

Melanie arched an eyebrow at that, while Harry quickly changed the subject.

"So what brings you here? Not that it isn't good to see you of course, but I thought Hermione threatened everyone about not coming here during our honeymoon." Harry asked.

Fred's face fell and he looked very distraught.

"Fred, what is it? Is everyone alright?" Harry demanded.

Fred shook his head and looked at Harry solemnly.

"Maybe we should talk in private?" Fred asked, eyeing Melanie nervously.

Melanie was about to walk away, like a good little house witch, but Harry reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Anything you can say to me, you can say to her," he said, stubbornly.

"Fine. But you had better sit down."

Melanie had a very bad feeling as she and Harry sat on the sofa.

Fred was quiet for a long time and then he shrugged.

"I'm really not sure where to start. So many things have happened," he muttered more to himself than the Potters.

"Get on with it, Fred," Harry demanded, getting very worried.

Fred glared at him.

"Well, what would you like to hear about first? How Katie tried to kill herself and ended up in a coma, or how Ginny is alive and married to Draco Malfoy?"

End Chapter 18


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Thank you for all the amazing reviews! And a special thanks to my wonderful beta, KT.

Chapter 19

"Tell Katie that I…"

"I told you that she can hear you, idiot," Draco snapped at George as they waited for Dumbledore to arrive in the infirmary.

"Besides, you haven't apologized for hitting me with that stunning spell. I don't see why I should do anything for you…" Draco drawled with a smirk.

George jumped to his feet, his hands clenched into fists.

"You will cooperate or I'll tell Ginny. I might not be able to touch you, but she knows how to do some pretty mean jinxes," George threatened.

"She wouldn't hurt me," Draco insisted, but he was obviously unsure of himself.

Katie snorted.

"No, she'd probably just kick you out of bed," she said, grinning.

Draco glared in the direction her voice had come from.

"Shut it, you…"

"DON'T TALK TO KATIE THAT WAY!"

"That is quite enough, Gentlemen."

The bickering pair looked up to see Dumbledore enter the room with Snape trailing him.

"Now, I believe we have a floating soul that needs to return to her body?" he asked Draco.

"YES! Please say you can help me," Katie cried making Draco flinch with her screeching.

"Um, yes Headmaster. She really wants to wake up."

"Okay," Dumbledore nodded and turned to face the room.

"Katie, can you hear me?" he asked.

"Of course I can," she said, exasperated.

"Headmaster, I believe we already established that she can," Draco said a bit impatient for all of this to be over.

"Right, right. Katie, walk over to the bed that your body is on," Dumbledore instructed, walking over himself.

"Alright I'm here. Now what?" she asked.

Draco nodded at the Headmaster.

"She is there, Sir."

"Good. Now, lie down."

Surely it couldn't be that easy.

Katie slowly sat on the bed and leaned back so that she was lying on top of herself. A second later, she felt herself begin sinking and the world went black.

"Katie? Can you hear me?" A voice asked her, but it sounded very far away.

It was George, and she wanted to answer him, but she felt so heavy and sluggish. A good five minutes of struggling passed before she was finally able to pry open her eyes.

The world around her was bright and blurry. She quickly shut her eyes again and groaned.

"Katie? Open your eyes," Rachel commanded a few minutes later.

She tried again, and was relieved to see that the lights had been dimmed, and things were in much better focus.

Headmaster Dumbledore was off to one side slightly humming and rocking on his feet, while Snape crossed his arms and rolled his eyes looking bored and put upon. Rachel flitted around her, casting diagnostic spells as she went. Katie's eyes finally found George who had been shoved out of Rachel's way. He was looking at her in a way no one had ever looked at her before, and she could feel herself blushing.

She smiled up at Rachel, feeling truly grateful to be alive. Why on Earth had she wanted to die in the first place?

Rachel smiled back at her and said, "Well, it is a good thing you are awake, Katie. You've only got three days left to plan your wedding."

Oh, yeah.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Later that evening, Hermione stormed into her rooms furious. A piece of parchment clutched in her hand.

"I am going to kill him," she growled, handing the letter to a startled Severus who had been reading in the sitting room.

Upon scanning the letter he looked up at his wife and smirked.

"Who? Weasley, Potter, or Malfoy? And can I help?" He teased, smoothly.

Despite her anger, Hermione had to bite back a smile as she snatched the letter back, and read it for the fifth time.

_Hermione, _

_Fred dropped by for a visit today and brought us up to speed on a few things. I do hope you had planned to warn me before I returned. But it is okay. In fact, Melanie had the idea that we should invite Ginny and Draco to dinner tomorrow night and I was wondering if you and Ron could come to. Let me know as soon as you can. And please don't worry. I promise that everything is fine._

_Love, _

_Harry_

Hermione plopped down in a chair with a sigh.

"Should I go?" she asked her husband, tiredly.

Severus gave up on getting back to his book and tossed it onto a table.

"Why are you asking me?" He wondered.

Hermione shrugged and sighed again.

"I'm starting to think that maybe you were right," she said, finally.

Severus gave her a suspicious look.

"What exactly was I right about?"

"About spending more time taking care of my friends than myself."

"I said that?"

"Well, something like that. It was what you meant though. Lately I feel like that even though I'm newly married and pregnant, my life is second to everyone else. First it was Harry and Melanie, then George and Katie, and now Draco and Ginny. Maybe I should back off and let them work out things for themselves."

Severus remained quiet, not sure what she wanted him to say to that.

"But then, what if things go really horrible? I love them, well most of them anyway. I would feel so guilty not even trying to help them out. But then, I'm just so tired all the time now. Did you know I've had to take a nap every afternoon for the last week? Rachel is constantly ordering me off my feet and to bed. It's almost as if she can see right through my glamour…" she stopped, suddenly realizing what she had just revealed.

Her husband's face remained impassive, but his voice was dangerously quiet and she knew that he was mad at her.

"You have been covering yourself with a glamour?" He asked, silkily.

Hermione quickly got to her feet and faked a yawn.

"It's nothing, Severus. I'm going to go lie down for a little while," she said, and hurried to the bedroom.

Hermione quickly removed her shoes and slid into bed. For a moment, she believed that Severus was actually going to let her be. However, she didn't feel relieved. In fact, she actually felt a little disappointed in him. Had their situation been reversed, she would have at least insisted that he start taking better care of himself.

She was about to get up and go accuse him of neglect when she felt the bed dip behind her as he sat down.

Hermione was thankful that she was facing away from him, or he would have seen her smile.

"Hermione?"

She did not move.

"I know you are awake. Sit up, we need to talk," he commanded.

She still did not move.

He made an exasperated noise, then angrily stood back up and walked around to her side of the bed. Grabbing her arm he hauled her up into a sitting position and glared at her.

"Take it off," he demanded.

At first Hermione was going to refuse, but it had been a long time since he had turned his anger onto her directly and it made her cringe.

Pulling her wand from beneath her pillow, she ended the glamour spell.

Snape shut his eyes and counted to ten, hoping to control some of the anger that had flared upon finally seeing her deteriorated state.

He wasn't sure who was the most angry at: Hermione for hiding it, her friends for causing it or himself for not realizing it.

"Have you been eating?" he asked.

She blinked then nodded.

"I eat all time. You see me," she pointed out.

"Yes, but I also see your face every day and it has never looked like this. For all I know you could be faking the food as well," he snapped.

Hermione hung her head. When she had started using the glamour it was not her purpose to lie to him. She just did not want him or any of her friends to feel bad relying on her. Now, it seemed a rather foolish thing to do.

Severus seemed to know exactly what was going through her mind.

"It isn't like you to put yourself ahead of your friends. I understand that, but you have to. If not for you, then for o-our baby," he said, the anger gone from his voice.

Hermione felt a warm burst of pleasure at his words. Up until now he had always referred to the baby as 'it', 'the baby', and once he had even called it 'your baby'. This verbal claim seemed to hearten her. It gave her hope that they might end up as a normal family one-day. Well, as normal as a witch and wizard living in the dungeons of a school castle could be.

"I'm sorry. I have been doing my best to continue on as if nothing has changed, but I see now that it is all a lie. Things have changed. I'm pregnant, and I am pushing myself to hard. Yes, I'll feel a tad guilty if my friends' love lives fall apart, but I don't even want to imagine the pain if anything happening to our baby."

She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest.

"I promise you, Severus, and you too little one, that I'll start taking better care of myself," she said and smiled when she felt his hand slide into her hair.

"We'll hold you to that," he said, his voice sounding curiously thick.

She lifted her head for a kiss, tugging on his robes until he joined her on the bed.

"Hermione, you need rest," he protested feebly as her hands started unbuttoning his robes.

"What I need right now, is you," she insisted and kissed him again.

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"You look nervous," Melanie commented to her husband as they dressed for dinner the following evening.

"I'm not," Harry insisted, and cursed at his sixth unsuccessful attempt at tying his bow tie.

Melanie walked over to him her navy blue dress robes swishing as she went.

"It's okay, you know. I won't get mad," she told him, expertly tying the bow tie on her first try.

Harry studied her for a moment.

"Thank you. You've been really good about this…" he began, but she waved a hand to cut him off.

"You cared about her. You thought she was dead, and now you know that she is alive. You have every right to be happy about that, regardless of me," she said, looking at the floor.

He gently took her arm and tilted her chin up to look at him.

"I do care about her, but I love you."

"Regardless, of her," he added and they both smiled.

She hugged him.

"I know. After tonight, it will all be over with, and neither one of us will have to worry about it anymore," she said, staring up at him with her head on his chest.

The ringing of the doorbell broke their moment.

"They're early!" Melanie exclaimed, hurrying out of the room.

Harry put a hand to his forehead.

"I forgot to tell you, Mel. Fred and Ron are coming early to discuss some things. Draco and Ginny won't be here for another half-hour," he confessed, sheepishly.

Melanie took a deep breath to calm herself and sent her husband a glare.

"Okay then. You go greet them, I'll be down in a minute," she said and turned back to the bedroom.

Harry frowned, but left to answer the door. This was obviously bothering Melanie more than she admitted.

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George was staring out the window with a vacant expression on his face while Katie and Hermione twittered on and on about the upcoming wedding.

At least they weren't asking his opinion anymore. When Katie had asked him if he preferred carnations or roses, he had answered her by saying, "Let's just elope."

He was going to have a bruise on his face where a book had struck him, courtesy of Hermione Snape.

The sun was just starting to set when there was a knock at the door. George had never been so happy to see Professor Snape.

"I've come to collect my wife," he said, giving George a bored luck.

"Please, take her," George replied, this time it was Katie who hit him with a book.

"Severus, just another hour or so…"

"Need I remind you of your promise?" He asked, abruptly.

Hermione paled and shook her head.

"I'm sorry Katie, but we'll have to finish this tomorrow," she said, giving her a hug.

"That's alright, Hermione. I know you need your rest," Katie said, smiling at her.

Once the Snapes had left, George turned to Katie expectantly.

"Let's get out of here," he pleaded.

She blinked and shook her head.

"George, we are getting married in two days! There is just too much to do before then," she explained.

"One hour, Katie. That's all I ask. Please?"

She tilted her head to the side, resisting the urge to smile at his 'puppy-dog' eyes.

"What did you have in mind?"

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Melanie entered the parlor to find Fred, Ron and Harry laughing over Fred's latest invention.

"George and I will make a fortune off of it," he was saying.

Upon seeing Melanie, Ron immediately went over to her.

"Melanie, you look very well," he said, kissing the hand she offered him.

"Thank you, Professor," she said politely.

Ron laughed.

"I never was your professor, but even so. You are married to my best friend, call me Ron."

Then he leaned in close to whisper to her, his face turning slightly pink.

"I'm under strict orders of Hermione to inquire if Harry has, er, mistreated you in any way," he said, embarrassed.

Melanie giggled, and turned a loving gaze to her husband who was watching them suspiciously from the other side of the room while Fred rambled on.

"He has been perfect," she said, her voice taking on a dreamy quality.

Ron smiled and the two of them walked over to join Harry and Fred.

"George is getting married day after tomorrow," Fred said suddenly.

"But I thought that Katie was in a coma," Melanie said, confused.

Ron shook his head.

"She woke up yesterday. It's a bloody good thing too. If she had still been in the coma after the deadline, she would have had to marry Flint when she woke," Ron said, shuddering.

Fred was starting to look a little depressed.

"George is marrying Katie, Ron is leaving. Now I'll be the only bachelor," he whined.

"I can set you up with someone if you'd like," Melanie offered and laughed when she saw the horrified expression on his face.

"Wait. Where are you going?" Harry asked Ron.

"Dumbledore wants me to run an errand in Argentina. I thought I'd spend a couple of months there. I miss traveling," he said.

The doorbell rang again, and all four of them visibly tensed. It was time.

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All in all it had been an okay date. George had whisked Katie away to the Leaky Cauldron for a delicious meal by candlelight. He had been charming, and had her laughing practically the whole time. As they walked out of the Inn and into Diagon Alley, Katie grabbed his hand and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, George. I'm glad we could get away for a little while," she said, smiling.

He blushed and squeezed her hand tighter.

"We, er, you have been so busy with getting ready for this wedding, I just didn't want you to forget," he said.

"Forget what?"

"That I love you."

Her heart melted and she leaned forward to kiss him. Just before their lips could meet, a loud voice suddenly boomed from behind them.

"Weasley!"

Katie watched in horrified shock as Marcus Flint's big meaty fist hurled itself into her fiancé's face.

It never occurred to her to be afraid as she deftly whipped out her wand, and sent the worst hexes she could think of at him.

Flint went down like a rock, and was now swelling in several unpleasant places.

Realizing what she had done, and how much danger she had been in, Katie started to shake.

She looked down on George's unconscious form, worried that Flint had done some real damage. It suddenly occurred to her that if George was not able to marry her in two days, she would have to marry Flint.

This hideous thought spurred her into action, and she quickly apparated them back to Hogwarts, yelling for Charlie, who wasn't far, to help her.

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Ginny did not know what exactly she was expecting, but it certainly was not the tiny pixyish woman who Harry introduced as his wife.

Melanie was the epitome of etiquette, and before Harry or Ginny realized what had happened, she had whisked everyone but them away for some wine in the parlor.

Ginny found herself alone with Harry, and quietly followed him to his study. She was grateful that Melanie understood that some things needed to be said and allowed them to get it out of the way.

When they were seated, Ginny finally broke the silence.

"You look well, Harry."

He gave her a quick grin.

"You look very good as well. It seems that marriage really agrees with us," he said.

Another silence descended.

"Yes, I am very happy with Draco," she said, watching his face carefully.

"I didn't ask…" he began but she cut him off.

"You wanted to."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Ginny, when I thought you had died, I was devastated. I thought I had failed you, and that haunted me for a very long time. It was only after you had gone that I realized I was in love with you. I am so sorry I hadn't sooner."

Ginny shook her head and placed a hand over his.

"I'm not. And you shouldn't be either. I loved you once, Harry. But it wasn't meant to be, I see that now. I love Draco. I was already in love with him before the final battle."

He gave a sigh of mock-exasperation.

"Why does it always have to be Malfoy?"

Ginny smiled.

"I know you aren't happy about that. You aren't the only one. He was wrong to hide me from my family, and he has admitted such. Sort of. Oh well, some things never change. Like the fact that I love him with all of my heart. You gave him a chance once, and it proved to be invaluable to the Order. I'm asking you to do that again. He's not -all- bad. And just look what an excellent role model you'll be for him!"

Tears rolled down their cheeks they were laughing so hard.

Harry stood and pulled her into a hug.

"I can't tell you how wonderful it is that you are okay," he whispered, holding her tight.

"I am glad that you are alright too. Now, I think we should go rescue Melanie. I don't know how long Draco and my brothers will be civil to each other," she commented.

"That bad huh?" He asked.

She gave him a tired smile.

"Just be glad you weren't there the day I had to tell them!"

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"George? Can you hear me?" Katie asked, hopefully as she clung to his hand.

A few hours had passed since she and Charlie had got George up to the infirmary. Rachel had fixed him up, saying he would be fine and to let him sleep.

"Katie?" Came his croaky reply.

"I'm right here," she said, kissing the hand she was holding.

"Did anyone get the license number of that hippogriff?" he asked, dazedly.

"It was Flint, George. But don't worry. I took care of him," she said, smiling.

He nodded and looked around.

"Well, talk about roll reversal," he said chuckling.

Her smile widened.

"Right, this isn't fun. Let's not end up in the infirmary anymore, deal?"

"Deal."

A few moments of silence passed.

"Katie?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember what we were doing when Flint so rudely interrupted us?"

There was no more talking after that, as the two conveyed their feelings for each other without using words.

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Charlie sighed at the sound of another loud moan coming from the infirmary.

"It probably isn't very wise to have sex right after a concussion," Rachel said, fretting.

Deciding to distract them both from his brother's rather noisy activities, Charlie picked his wife up and carried her into the bedroom.

Everything was going really nice, and Charlie had finally managed to put his brother's moans out of his mind when Rachel suddenly pushed away from him.

She ran from the room and he could soon hear her vomiting in the bathroom. When she emerged a few minutes later, her smile was so bright it lit up the whole room.

Her eyes were sparkling with excitement as she walked up to him.

"Enjoyed that did you?" He asked, bewildered.

"Charlie! I'm pregnant!"

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"You were wonderful tonight," Harry murmured into Melanie's ear.

He stood behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist.

"What are you doing?" She asked with a giggle as one of his hands started wandering.

"I'm just helping my lovely wife undress," he said, pushing the material of her robes away from her shoulder and placing a kiss on the skin there.

Melanie turned in his arms, giving him a serious look.

"You are really okay with me? You don't want Ginny back?" She asked, determinedly.

He gave her an annoyed look.

"No, I'm not 'okay' with you! I am the happiest I've ever been in my life, with you. And you can't have something back that you never had to begin with," he said, scooping her up into his arms and carrying her to the bed.

He sat down with her in his lap, and proceeded unzip her robes.

Melanie blinked away tears leaning forward to give him better access.

"I used to dream of her, every night without fail. Either I was trying to save her from Voldemort, or she was calling to me to come find her. She haunted my every waking and sleeping, moment for six years. Do you know when my dreams stopped?"

He turned her so that she was facing him, and saw her shake her head no. He smiled and caressed her cheek with the back of his good hand.

"It was the night I stayed in the infirmary with you. After the attack, remember?"

She nodded, unable to help the tears that escaped.

His other hand came up and he cradled her face, looking into her eyes.

"The only reason I ever wanted Ginny was because I didn't know you. If I had, it wouldn't even be an issue. And, I don't know what else I can say or do to convince you of that."

Her hand came up to touch his face.

"Oh, Harry. Just love me. Just love me," she whispered, and titled her head up to receive his kiss.

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"I've decided I like keeping promises," Hermione said happily as Severus fed her a slice of orange.

They were lying in bed, naked, with a bowl of fruit in between them.

"You look much better. No glamour, right?" He asked, suspiciously.

She shook her head.

"Severus, I am really sorry about that. It was never my intention to lie to you. And I swear I have not lied about anything else," she said, solemnly.

He looked back at the fruit to avoid her eyes.

"And what is it that you think I think you might lie about?"

She grabbed his chin, and forced him to look at her.

"I want to be here with you. I am ecstatic about having your baby, and I adore making love with you. Those aren't lies, Severus. I- I love you," she said.

His eyes went wide and she smiled.

"You don't have to say it. I can see it in everything you do. I am happy with you. I love you."

Several emotions through him: Nervousness, embarrassment, pain, anger, and finally hope. Not knowing what he could say that could possibly top her declaration, he simply pushed the fruit bowl out of the way and pulled her against him. He spent the next few hours showing her through his caresses and kisses that he felt the same way.

That was good enough for her.

End Chapter 19

A/N: We are approaching the end 'sniff'. I will probably add one more chapter, and then an epilogue. But I must return to 'Dragon of Hogwarts'. It is a Hermione/Blaise story I have about half-way finished.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Finally Chapter 20 is ready. Ron and Fred will not let me end this until their story is told as well, so you can expect a few more chapters before this one is finally finished. I apologize for the long time in between chapters, but I do work as fast as I can. I have a very demanding job that does not allow me to take the time to write like I used to. Just know that I will not abandon this one. And for all my Dragon of Hogwarts fans, I will finish it when this one is done. And after that, I will finish Healing Hermione .

Special thanks to my lovely beta KT, without whom this story would not be near as good.

Chapter 20

"I don't like this. Not one bit," Harry groused as he pulled out a chair for Hermione to sit down.

She and Harry were having lunch in Hogsmeade the last Saturday in July. Delilah's Deli was a new addition to the other shops in the small village. It had opened a week ago, and Hermione knew the little shop would do very well once school started again.

Hermione had been baby shopping all morning, and had worked up quite an appetite. After lunch, she and Harry were going to meet Ron at the train station.

Hermione groaned in relief at being off of her swollen feet. Severus was sure to be upset if he saw them, but she decided it was his own fault for not coming shopping with her. The baby would be here in about four months, and she had barely started work on the nursery. Soon, she would be too big to do much.

Harry gave another pitiful sigh, sensing that her attention had been elsewhere for a moment.

"If you want her to stay, then tell her," Hermione said, picking up a menu.

Thanks to her excellent NEWT's Melanie had been accepted to a Wizarding University in Athens, Greece. She had been so excited, that Harry didn't have the heart to protest. They had no type of owl correspondence programs, so Melanie would have to physically live there for the next three years. She was in a special program that would allow her to become a Master of Arithmancy. The program was actually four years long, but the last year would be an internship back at Hogwarts so she could be with Harry again then.

"I can't tell her to stay home! What would she do? I'll be teaching at the school all day anyway. I can't expect her to sit around and wait for me," he explained.

"Then what is the problem?" Hermione asked, confused.

"I'll miss her."

Hermione's eyes teared up, and she quickly dabbed at them with a napkin.

Harry looked a bit bewildered.

"Why are you crying? She's my wife."

She took a couple of deep breaths then glared at him.

"It's these stupid hormones! I think it is really sweet that you love her so much, Harry. And I know it will be difficult to have to spend so much time apart, but you can do it. You need to do it, for her."

Harry sighed, again.

"I know. And I will. But I don't have to be happy about it."

The waiter arrived and they placed their lunch order.

"Besides, it isn't like you won't see her at all. I mean, doesn't she get two weeks off after every four month semester?" Hermione asked after the waiter had left.

Harry nodded.

"And, I'm sure there will be many weekends that you'll be able to join Melanie there. At least the school is letting her stay off property and not in a dorm."

Harry glared at his food as it was placed in front of him.

Hermione smiled at the waiter and told him that they had everything they needed.

"Yes, wasn't it wonderful of the Malfoys to offer the use of one of their summer homes?" He asked, sarcastically.

Hermione gave him a stern look.

"Harry! Ginny and Melanie get along great. I'm sure Draco had very little to do with it. At least they aren't enemies. It could have been a lot worse."

Hermione's stern expression quickly changed into one of bliss as she bit into her roast beef and cheddar sandwich. After swallowing a few bites to curb the hunger pains, Hermione turned her attention back to Harry who was picking at his food.

"What is really bothering you, Harry?"

He didn't look at her.

"I just thought she'd be pregnant by now," he muttered.

Hermione sighed.

"Serious damage was done when Melanie was attacked. She may never be able to have a baby."

"I know. I'm afraid she'll be taken away from me. I don't want to lose her, Hermione. I can't…"

Hermione went back to eating for a few minutes. It seemed that almost anything could cause her to cry, and quite frankly she was sick of it.

"Just keep trying, Harry. We are all aware of the situation. Someone will come up with something, you'll see. In the meantime, you can't expect Melanie to just put her life on hold. When she gets pregnant, things will have to change again. On account of the law, the school should make concessions for her when she does get pregnant. Things will work out alright. You'll see."

Harry slammed a fist down on the table.

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT, HERMIONE! I'm so sick of hearing everyone tell me not to worry! For the first time in my life I'm actually happy! I'm so scared that it won't last."

Hermione was conflicted by anger at Harry's outburst, and sadness at his confession.

"Honestly, Harry! If worse comes to worse, you could just move to Greece, or France, or anywhere you'd like! Yes, it will put us in a bind to find a new DADA teacher, but that won't be impossible. You and Melanie can be happy and safe, and not a one of us would begrudge you that! However, you have a year and half before you even have to start thinking about that! I've read the law probably more thoroughly than the idiots who've passed it, and I know that unless a pureblooded, single female contests the fact that you are married to Melanie past the allotted time without having a baby, then no one will bother you!"

Harry looked away, allowing her words to absorb.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. You are right, as usual. I'll try not to worry so much."

She nodded to show that she had accepted his apology and then changed the subject.

"So, I wonder why Ron is taking the train," she said.

Harry shrugged.

"His owl just said that he had been successful, and that Professor Moraes would be accompanying him to speak with Albus about the job."

The two finished their lunch, speculating on what the new Potion's Master would be like.

If Professor Moraes accepted the position, she would have the unenviable task of apprenticing Snape all year. At first Hermione worried that Severus would not like another female invading his domain, but her doubts were reassured when he began gleefully telling her of his plans to start some new experiments in his private lab. He then asked her if she thought Dumbledore would get mad if he turned everything over to the new professor after a week.

As a Master of Potions, Hermione had no doubt that the woman would be more than capable and told her husband as much. This had pleased Severus so much that they had retired early that evening, and not to sleep.

"Hermione?"

She shook the dreamy smile off of her face and refocused on her friend.

"Sorry," she offered with a sheepish smile.

Harry shook his head.

"Is day-dreaming a symptom of pregnancy too?" He asked, signaling the waiter for the check.

Hermione gave him an evil smirk.

"It is with a husband as virile as mine!"

Twenty minutes later they found a bench at the train station.

"It doesn't matter if it's Muggle or Wizard, trains are always late," Hermione said trying to wiggle her swollen toes which had gone numb.

"I can't hear you, Hermione. I really think I've gone deaf," Harry said faking panic.

She swatted at him.

"Oh, get over it Harry. Severus and I have sex. You can't look at me anymore without seeing the proof of it," she pointed out.

Harry just made a strangled sound in his throat.

They were pleasantly interrupted by a sound they had not heard in over six years. The train whistle of the Hogwarts Express sounded loudly in the hot afternoon as it turned a corner into view of the station.

This time of year the train only ran three times a month. There really was no reason for it, as children did not come to Hogwarts during the summer, and any adults that had business in Hogsmeade could just apparate. In fact, from mid-June through August the train mainly transported older or sickly witches and wizards who needed to conserve the energy it took to apparate.

Harry and Hermione watched as the train came to a stop and the door opened. A beautiful woman in brilliant orange and red robes emerged holding a small child in her arms. They were both dark skinned with glossy black hair, and dark brown eyes. The woman had her hair up in an elaborate twist that showed off her long neck and sparkling ruby earrings.

Ron followed them a moment later levitating their luggage. He smiled at Harry and Hermione as he led his two companions over to the bench.

"Hey guys! I'd like you to meet Professor Isabella Moraes," he said.

Isabella gently placed the boy on his feet, and let out an exasperated sigh as he tried to hide in her robes.

She held her hand out to Harry who shook it and then to Hermione.

"Actually, it is Professor Isabella Moraes-Weasley now," she said, watching the reactions with obvious amusement.

"You must be Harry Potter and Hermione Snape. Ronald has talked nonstop of you two," she said, laughing at their shocked expressions.

A silence descended as Hermione and Harry tried to come to terms with a married Ron.

"My name is David!"

The boy was looking at Hermione and Harry from behind Isabella.

Isabella laughed and shook her head.

"Yes, this is my nephew, David."

"Oh. Will he be staying with you?" Hermione finally pushed past the shock to ask.

Isabella lost her smile, her dark eyes filled with a sadness that made Hermione want to cry.

Ron cleared his throat.

"Obviously, we all have much to discuss, but I think it would be best if we could get settled in first. I'd like to only tell this story once. C'mon, Harry. Let's get a carriage," he said, leading the other man away.

Hermione looked over at Isabella nervously.

"I'm sorry if I said something to upset you, Professor."

Isabella shook her head.

"It is not your fault. Please, call me Isa. Due to a recent family tragedy, David is now in my care. We are the only family we have left. So yes, Professor Snape, he will be staying with me or I will not be staying," she said, firmly.

Hermione laughed.

"Professor Snape is my husband's name! Please call me Hermione."

An hour later a rather large group gathered in Professor Dumbledore's office to hear Ron's story. Rachel, Charlie, Fred, George, Katie, Hermione, Severus, Harry, Ron, and of course Dumbledore himself waited anxiously for Ron to begin.

"Isa and David are taking a nap. The time change is difficult to get used to," Ron said with a yawn.

"Tough! You're not getting one wink of sleep until you explain how you left the country looking for a teacher and came back with a bloody wife!" Declared a very upset Fred.

Fred received a few hostile looks, but no one said anything. All eyes were now on Ron.

Ron sighed and began his tale.

Flash Back

Ron met Isabella Moreas soon after his arrival in her small coastal village. They went to a nice outdoor café with an ocean view. It was one of the most beautiful places he had ever been in his life. And with all of the traveling Ron had done, that was saying something.

When Isa had walked up and introduced herself, Ron had nearly swallowed his tongue. She was gorgeous, but surprisingly easy to talk to. Her English was perfect, and she laughed at most of his jokes.

She hesitated when he asked if she was ready to go find a seat.

"Mr. Weasley, before this goes any further I want you to know that I have no intention of taking a job at Hogwarts," she said, simply.

Ron shrugged.

"All I'm offering is a free dinner with an amazing view," he said, holding out an arm.

She had smiled and accepted to Ron's delight.

They had a lovely meal spent talking about their families, friends, and the war, anything but the reason Ron was there. The hours passed quickly, and soon the café was ready to close.

"I hate to see this night end, Isa, but I think we are about to get kicked out."

She looked at her watch, surprised.

"Yes, I really do need to get home," she said.

They stood and shook hands.

"It was really nice meeting you," Ron holding on to her hand a little longer than was appropriate.

Isa sighed and gave him a pained look.

"I am really sorry Ron, but I've had offers to teach at schools all over the world, and the Hogwarts position is one of the lowest paying. And what about that marriage law Britain passed? Why should I choose Hogwarts?"

Ron simply answered that they offered what they could and hoped she might change her mind. He told her the name of the hotel he was staying at, and that he planned to be there for several weeks if she wanted to talk some more. About anything. He then started to leave then but suddenly turned back.

"We are a family at Hogwarts. To me, that is worth more than all of the money in the world," he said and left.

She did not respond, but her gaze had been thoughtful as he disappeared.

The next day they met for lunch, then dinner. They spent several days walking the beaches and shopping in the outdoor markets. Isa started a routine where she would meet with an agent of a school that wanted to hire her for lunch, and then meet Ron for ice cream after. She would detail to Ron how each interview went, and would listen as he offered advise, and good follow up questions for her to ask. After their ice cream date, all thoughts of life beyond the summer fled from their minds as the two went dancing, or to the movies, or just hung around the beach enjoying the scenery.

Late on July second he walked her home and kissed her goodnight. It was their first kiss, and was followed by many more increasing in intensity.

"Ron I want you to come in with me. Stay the night," she gasped out between kisses.

Ron broke away and smiled down at her, nodding enthusiastically. But suddenly, Isa went very still.

"Before you do. I want you to know that I have chosen the Potions' Master position at Sweet Water School of Magic in Texas."

Hearing her confession was like having a bucket of ice water dumped on his head. He stepped away from her, running a hand through his hair.

Ron turned away, not sure what to say.

Isa grabbed his arm and pulled him back around to face her.

"Why are you angry, Ronald? I told you from the beginning I would not choose Hogwarts," she asked, blinking back tears.

His own eyes were curiously bright as he looked down at her.

"I have had a lot of fun this past month. I'm sorry Isa, but I just can't continue this knowing it will go nowhere."

They were both quiet for a moment; hurt by his words, but knowing they were true.

Isa took a deep breath and held out a hand for him to shake.

"Goodbye, Mr. Weasley," she said, her voice wavering only slightly.

Ron took hold of her hand and looked into her eyes.

"Goodbye, Isa," he said, giving her hand a swift pull and causing her to fall against him.

He kissed her deeply, one last time, then roughly released her and apparated away.

Isa held a hand to her lips and remained staring out into the darkness for a long time afterward.

The next two weeks were pure misery for Ron. The beautiful town that had been so enchanting with Isa at his side now seemed dull and boring. He honestly didn't know why he hung around so long, but every time he sat down to owl Dumbledore that he had not been successful, he just couldn't do it.

Late one evening, as Ron got ready for bed, he heard a frantic pounding at his door.

He was surprised to see a very ruffled looking Isabella holding a small boy in her arms.

"Isa, what…"

She brushed passed him, settling the boy on the sofa, and murmuring to him in a different language.

Ron shut the door, willing himself to keep quiet. It was obvious to him the something bad had happened. Isa would explain herself soon. She needed to calm the boy.

It seemed to take hours, but the boy finally fell asleep. Isa herself looked exhausted. Ron motioned for her to follow him into the bedroom.

He shut the door behind him and turned to ask her what was going on, but was dismayed to see her crying.

He watched as she sank to the floor with her arms wrapped about herself, shoulders shaking with sobs as she tried to cry quietly.

Not knowing what else to do, Ron sat on the floor beside her and pulled her into his arms. She cried herself to sleep. Ron tucked her into his bed, and went to check on the boy. He was still sleeping, so Ron covered him with a light blanket and put a glass of water on the coffee table next to the sofa and returned to his bedroom.

He debated for a few minutes as to whether or not he should crawl in bed beside her. Would she think he was taking advantage of her? In the end, he stayed fully dressed and lay down on top of the blanket next to her. In the whole time that he had known Isabella Moreas, he had never seen her cry. Whatever had happened must have been devastating, but he could not help but feel a small swell of pleasure at the fact that she had come to him in her time of need.

When he woke she was sitting up in the bed, just staring out into the distance. He sat up and she blinked, his movement waking her from whatever trance she had been in.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

She seemed more coherent and in control of herself. Ron reached out and grabbed her hand linking their fingers together.

"It's okay," was all he said.

Isa was shocked that he wasn't demanding answers from her. He was just sitting beside her, peacefully holding her hand and waiting on her to say or do what she wanted.

"I had no right to come here like this, but I didn't know what else to do. I was babysitting my nephew, David last night for my sister and her husband. They went to the opera. The opera house burnt down last night. They… they didn't make it…" she started crying again.

When she had composed herself again, she said, "I didn't know what to do. I just couldn't stay at home. I needed to get David somewhere safe… My sister and David were all the family I had left. Now it is just me and David."

Ron pulled her close and stroked her hair.

"You were close to your sister?" he asked.

She nodded her eyes filling with tears again.

"She was my best friend. We buried our parents two years ago, and I moved closer to her. We spend a lot of time together. I miss her already."

Isa cried herself to sleep again.

Ron had buried several of his family members, so he knew what she and David were going through.

When Ron emerged from the bedroom he found David awake drinking the water Ron had left out for him.

He walked over and sat down across from the boy.

"Hello David. I'm Ron. Are you hungry?" he asked.

The boy blinked at him uncomprehendingly.

He suppressed a groan. Ron should have realized when Isa was speaking to the boy last night, that he would not know English.

"Ron." He said, pointing to himself.

Then he mimicked eating.

"Are you hungry?"

David shook his head and looked away.

The two sat in silence, until the boy started squirming.

Luckily, Ron was able to recognize the problem right away and quickly led the boy to the bathroom.

After that, Ron didn't know what to do. He wanted to comfort the boy, but wasn't sure of his welcome.

When David left the bathroom he walked over to the shut bedroom door and turned to look at Ron.

"Tia Isa?" He asked, pointing at the door.

Ron nodded.

"Isa is sleeping," he said, resting his had on his folded hands to demonstrate.

David nodded and held a finger up to his lips.

Ron watched as the boy started scanning the room for something. His eyes lit up when they found the television.

Ron could appreciate the boy's excitement. After the war, Ron spent a lot of time traveling and had learned many things about the muggle culture. The television had been one of his favorites.

When Isa emerged from the bedroom a few hours later, she was surprised to see David and Ron watching cartoons and eating ice cream.

She cleared her throat, and Ron jumped up guiltily.

"Sorry, Isa. Ice cream was the only thing I could get him to eat," he said, sheepishly.

Isa shook her head, but gave him a small smile.

"How are you feeling David?" She asked the boy who was glued to the television.

"Fine," he said, not looking away from the set.

Ron looked at him in shock.

"You can speak English?" He demanded.

This time David did look away long enough to give Ron a mischievous grin.

"David! That was very rude of you. Mr. Weasley is helping us out," she scolded.

David did look a little contrite.

"I am sorry. I like playing jokes. It makes me feel not as sad," he explained.

His English wasn't quite as good as Isa's but Ron could tell the boy meant what he said.

"That's okay, David. My brothers, Fred and George like to play jokes on me too."

David went back to his ice cream and cartoons, while Ron and Isa went to the kitchen for some real food.

"Is there anything I can do to help you out, Isa?" He asked her, quietly.

She smiled at him, charmed by his helpful yet easy-going manner.

"You have already done so much. I suppose it would help if David could stay with you while I go out and take care of some things."

Ron returned her smile.

"Sure. You are both welcome to stay as long as you need," he said.

She gave him a quick hug, and then excused herself to shower.

It was several hours later before Isabella returned.

Ron looked up from the television with a smile.

"I promise we haven't been sitting here all day," he said.

His grin faded when he saw how depressed she looked.

"Isa, are you o-"

"I'm fine. Let's talk in the kitchen," she said looking at David who was oblivious of the conversation going on between the adults.

Ron followed her, concerned about what else may be upsetting her.

"What's wrong, Isa?"

Tears filled her eyes, but she was determined not to break down crying, again.

"It seems that all of the doors that were wide open for me have been slammed shut. I spent three hours haggling with Sweet Water to get them to allow me to bring David with me. They finally agreed, but I'll be taking a huge salary cut. That was fine. I could live with that. Then I went to speak with our family lawyer about everything. It seems I cannot take David out of the country unless I adopt him, and according to our Wizarding Laws, I cannot adopt unless I am married."

They were both silent for a few minutes, then Ron started laughing. It began as a slight snigger, but soon escalated to full-out, rolling-on-the-floor laughter.

Isa huffed, and tried not grin at the spectacle.

"So, you find my problems amusing do you?" She asked sternly.

When he continued to laugh, she kicked at him with her foot. The second time she kicked, Ron was ready for her, and caught her ankle pulling her down on top of him in one smooth move. Pretty soon, they were both laughing so hard, the racket pulled David away from the TV to see what the fuss was about. The boy only hesitated for a second before launching himself onto Ron as well. His laughter soon joined theirs as both adults began tickling him.

When they had finally calmed down, Ron looked over at Isa. Her robes were rumpled, her hair was in major disarray, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Still, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

He grabbed one of her hands, and placed a kiss on the back of it.

"Marry me," he said, looking into her eyes.

Her mouth fell open in shock.

"Marry me. We can adopt David, and be a real family," he said, kissing her hand again.

"Oh, Ronald. I may have been able to talk Sweet Water into letting me bring David, but they'll never allow me to bring you."

"Hogwarts will let you. They'll welcome you and David," he began, but she interrupted him with a glare.

"Ronald Weasley! I cannot believe that you would go to so much trouble just to get me to teach at your school."

It was Ron's turn to glare as he said, "You think I am just marrying you so that you'll teach at Hogwarts? That's rubbish!"

"Is it? Well you have to admit that this has all been awfully convenient for you!" She retorted.

David's head turned back and forth as he followed the conversation. He felt like he was watching a tennis match.

"Fine. If you don't want to teach at Hogwarts, you don't have to. I'll go wherever you want. But I can't imagine us being happy anywhere else."

"I- Do you mean that?"

"Yes."

All the anger seemed to drain out of her.

"You would leave your friends and family and live with me, anywhere I decide to go?"

"Yes. But I'm telling you, Isa, I've been all around the world and Hogwarts is the best there is."

There was a passionate heat in both of their gazes as they stared at one another. David began to slowly back out of the room, not sure he wanted to see what would happen next.

"But to marry me Ron? Do you… Do you even love me?" She asked, in a small voice.

"Isa, I think I loved you since the moment I saw you."

His whispered confession brought tears to her eyes.

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm"

And then they were kissing.

"And that is how I happened," Ron ended his story and yawned again.

The women all had dreamy expressions on their faces while the men were stifling their own yawns. Hermione was practically bawling into Severus' handkerchief.

Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Then it all worked out very well. You should get some rest Ron."

The group broke up then, couples heading off in various directions.

Severus frowned when he saw Hermione practically limping.

He sighed and in one smooth move levitated her into his arms.

"You overworked yourself today, Hermione. What am I going to do with you?"

She seemed to ponder his question as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You should definitely give me a foot massage," she announced, finally.

"And how does that punish you?" He asked with a smirk.

"Who said anything about punishment?" She replied, giving his earlobe a playful tug with her teeth.

"You are a spoiled brat," he declared, but quickened his pace to their rooms.

End Chapter 20


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